The Mayor and Councillors are elected representatives of the community and make decisions on behalf of the community.  The Mayor is elected by the district as a whole and shares the same responsibilites as other council members of Council.

Elections are for all local body authorities throughout New Zealand are held every three years and are conduted by postal vote.  To stand for Council, you need to be on an electoral roll.  You must be a New Zealand citizen and enrolled as an elector of a local authority.

The Mayor and the councillors of the Wairoa District Council have the following roles:

• Setting the policy direction of Council
• Monitoring the performance of the Council
• Representing the interests of the district
• Employing the Chief Executive