Updated 11.11am: Party meetings are set to begin almost immediately for candidates seeking the Green party's co-leadership job.

Nominations for the position being vacated by Russel Norman close at 5pm today.

Four candidates have already put their hands up for the job.

Sitting MPs Kevin Hague, Gareth Hughes and James Shaw are in the race. Auckland based party member Vernon Tava's also put his name in for the job.

The candidates will have to put their pitches to the party's membership almost immediately.

They're set to hold public meetings with party members this weekend to put their case for getting the co-leaders job.

One meeting is to be held in Nelson tomorrow, followed by another in Auckland on Sunday.

Meanwhile Russel Norman says the party's leadership model works - but concedes it can be a struggle.

He says the co-leader environment has pros and cons.

"It's kind of like an arranged marriage. So the upside is that is does mean that you share the load, but there's also the work involved in coordination between two people all the time."

His self-demotion will kick in next month, but he says he'll stay with the party as an MP for the near future.

He says he hasn't had second thoughts since he announced his decision.

"Nine years is a long time to do any particular role, but Don Brash was the leader of National when I started, Helen Clark was the leader of the Labour Party. I think I'm onto my 4th or 5th Labour leader now."