Wednesday 21 Aug 2013 5:00a.m.
Mr Brown's main conservative challenger, John Palino (File)
A total of 470 candidates have stepped forward to contest Auckland Council seats at this year's local body elections.
Seventeen of those candidates are going for the mayoralty. Sixty candidate nominations were received for 20 council body seats and 393 nominations came in for 149 seats across 21 local boards.
"After a last-minute dash from some candidates to get nominations in […] I am pleased overall with the numbers we have received," says electoral officer Bruce Thomas.
The final figure is lower than in 2010, when there were 23 nominations for Mayor and over 100 nominations for councillor positions. Mr Thomas says interest was particularly strong that year as it was the first election after the amalgamation of the eight legacy councils.
The incumbent Mayor Len Brown, who is pushing for a second term, is being contested by a broad range of mayoral hopefuls from the right and left. The most talked-about issues for 2013 include the Auckland Unitary Plan, housing affordability and transport issues.
Who are the Auckland Council mayoral hopefuls?
Mayor Len Brown has recognised Auckland's history of replacing mayors after one term but says a second term is necessary to finish the projects he has started, with the overall aim of making Auckland "the world's most liveable city". If re-elected, Mr Brown says he wishes to roll out the City Rail Link, finalise the Unitary Plan, create more jobs, move forward with Special Housing Areas and continue to transform the Auckland waterfront.
Mr Brown's main conservative challenger, John Palino, is an American-born millionaire businessman and former host of TV3's reality show The Kitchen Job. He talks of achieving frequent, fast public transport, and wishes to develop a second CBD in Manukau or a similar region. He is keen on the City Rail Link and harbour crossing project in principle – but has an alternative plan on their service delivery.
Activist John Minto, standing for Mana, promises to put a stop to Auckland's traffic problems with free buses and trains, while using half the budget the Government has set aside. He also has a strong focus on achieving liveable wages.
South Auckland minister Uesifili Unasa, who is also the head of the council's Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel, is hoping to lock in the Pasifika vote. He believes some of Auckland's ethnic groups have largely been ignored and aims to make them a priority.
Independent candidate Penny Bright believes council-controlled organisations must be abolished in a bid to improve transparency for those in public office. She is also strongly opposed to the Auckland Unitary Plan.
David Willmott, who ran in 2010, is standing again this year. With the backing of the group Roads First, his primary focus is on building roads.
Affordable Auckland candidate for Waitemata & Gulf Stephen Berry wishes to promote affordable living if elected, calling himself as "the ratepayer's champion". He believes spending, borrowing and rates need to be urgently reined in.
Mayoral candidate Jesse Butler is an unemployed Browns Bay resident. He told The New Zealand Herald he wishes to create full employment by getting rates money working better for families, and hopes to have better civil defence resources for natural disasters.
Paul Duffy, the founder of money-educating programme duffyclub, is a mayoral hopeful who says Auckland Council is operating with "unsustainable debt levels". He says he would ensure "every rates dollar is well spent to achieve the vision of Auckland becoming the world's most sustainable liveable city".
Susanna Kruger is an independent candidate from Parnell.
Matthew Goode, 36, is a computer programmer who grew up in Mt Wellington and now resides in Otahuhu. He says he wants to take a different approach with people who are failing society by asking how we are failing them as a society. He says he believes it is the council's job to connect people of the community.
The Communist League is running Annalucia Vermunt as their mayoral candidate.
Emmett Hussey is an independent candidate who is campaigning for a referendum on the proposed Unitary Plan, and hopes to petition the Government for a change in policy to halt foreigners investing in New Zealand housing.
Phil O'Connor is a candidate with backing from Christians Against Abortion party.
Wayne Young is a homeless man who ran unsuccessfully ran mayor in 2010, Fairfax Media reported. He is believed to be one of the country's first leaky home victims and protests regularly on Tamaki Drive. He says his main policies are to bring about proper building inspections and provide non-profit water.
The son of long-time Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt, Reuben Shadbolt, is also running as an Auckland mayoral candidate. The 41-year-old worked as a labourer before a back injury forced him on the sickness benefit, the Herald reports.
Julia Parfitt is a Murray Bay resident and chair of the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board. Ms Parfitt is running independently. She has a focus on containing rates, community empowerment and affordable public transport.
Breakdown of the nominations:
Mayor (17 candidates)
Councillors (60 candidates for 20 body seats)
Local boards (393 candidates for 149 seats, across 21 local boards)
Aucklanders will be able to view full candidate profiles at www.voteauckland.co.nz from Saturday, September 7.
Postal voting takes place from September 20 to October 12.