Nominations have opened for this year’s TECT Community Trust trustee election, with three community trust positions up for election.

As part of TECT’s rotation process, three of its six trustees are up for election this year.

Kate Barry-Piceno, Mark Arundel and Peter Blackwell are the trustees retiring by rotation this year, a media release on behalf of TECT said.

While all three were eligible to stand again, Blackwell has confirmed he will not seek another term.

TECT, which manages an asset base of more than $1 billion, funds community initiatives, facilities and events across Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty.

Since 1993, it has distributed more than $228 million in grants, including $26.3m through 316 grants in the past financial year.

Independent returning officer Warwick Lampp said the election was expected to attract strong interest from prospective candidates.

“The TECT election usually draws a lot of interest from aspiring candidates and we’re expecting that same level of interest this year.”

TECT has had a major influence in community projects within the Western Bay of Plenty over the past 30 years and management of the trust fund in the current environment will be very important.”

Candidates must be enrolled to vote within the TECT district, which covers the Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council areas, and be nominated by two electors from the district.

They must also provide a candidate profile and a recent photograph.

Nominations close at midday on Friday, August 28. Nomination forms and candidate information are available on the TECT website.

A candidate information meeting will be held at 6pm on Wednesday, August 19, at the TECT office in The Kollective on 17th Ave, Tauranga.

If more than three nominations are received, the election will be conducted by online voting only.

Voting packs will be sent to about 152,000 eligible voters from September 25, with voting closing at midday on October 23.