Environment BOP has sworn in Tai Eru As replacement for now deceased councillor Hawea Vercoe. Hawea held the Okurei constituency seat, but died after a tussle at a bar in Whakatane last year. Tai will hold this seat on the regional council until October when the next local government elections are scheduled to take place. Tai Eru. Environment BOP chairman John Cronin says Tai will be an asset to the council. “Tai has many years of council experience, both at a regional and district More...

Plans to expand an Otumoetai dentists’ practice are not supported by Tauranga City Council planning staff. The recommendation to the city council hearings committee at the consent hearing on Friday is that council decline consent to expand the full time staff permitted to work at Thomas House at 344 Otumoetai Road. The building is currently permitted 10 full time employees and wants to expand to 24. The practice was established in 2005 as a discretionary activity under planning rules More...

The public will have their chance to comment on the Tauranga City Council’s proposal to increase rates by 35 per cent over three years later this month. Out for consultation on March 22, the city’s annual plan proposes to increase the average rate by more than $500 – taking it from $1372 to $1912. Tauranga City Councillor Rick Currach wants better information about proposed rates rises mailed to the public. The council proposes to do this by $150 increases this year and More...

A change to the time when restaurants on The Strand have to move their outdoor furniture is being sought by Tauranga City Councillors Bill Grainger and Murray Guy. The dining to drinking change over presently happens at about 4pm – a time many restaurants find is losing them customers. Bill and Murray on The Strand. Some bar owners want the change to occur at 9pm to take advantage of the natural business lull that occurs at that time. This is when they say the diners leave and is More...

Tauranga City Councillor Bill Grainger is set to take the place of councillor Hayden Evans on the joint road safety committee. Hayden resigned last week after pressure was brought to bear by councillor Mike Baker on his continuing membership of that committee following his conviction on a drink drive charge. Hayden says he resigned because he did not want politics to interfere with the effective functioning of the committee and its focus on road safety issues. The city council voted for More...

A replacement for Tauranga City Councillor Hayden Evans on the mixed council joint road safety committee is to be decided on Tuesday morning. Hayden resigned from the position last week after councillor Mike Baker pressed for it, questioning Hayden’s suitability following his recent conviction on a drink driving charge.Hayden Evans.“I have no doubt that councillor Baker's concerns regarding my presence on the joint road safety committee have little to do with public More...

A recent Tauranga City Council survey has found that repairs are needed in two places to the reclaimed water transfer main pipeline coating. A section of newly established garden below the cemetery is one location. Plants and mulching will be temporarily moved to allow this work. The other location is in the boat ramp car park below the Aerodrome Bridge. Work is scheduled to commence mid March. This information from Tauranga City Council weekly bulletin for the week beginning Monday, More...

Attendance at the Bethlehem Heights Progressive Association meeting on Wednesday evening has shown that Bethlehem may be a well contested electorate this year. 2010 is an election year for local government and attending last week’s meeting were six Tauranga City Councillors to go with the 13 residents who turned up. Cr Brownless, Cr Guy, Cr Stewart and Cr Baker all have an interest in Bethlehem. The Bethlehem ward includes most of the western half of the city including Matua, More...

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby is trying to get to the bottom of concerns that Bethlehem residents were poorly consulted by the New Zealand Transport Agency over the suburb’s four laning project. Stuart made the commitment to resolve the problem at a Bethlehem Progressive Association organised meeting on Tuesday night. “From the council’s perspective, we have mixed messages from shop owners and property owners on the southern side, which believe they have not been approached More...

Councillor Hayden Evans has resigned from the mixed council joint road safety committee – ahead of the Tauranga City Council meeting on Tuesday where his continued presence on the committee was to be discussed. Councillor Hayden Evans has resigned from the joint road safety committee. Councillor Mike Baker challenged Hayden’s continued presence on the joint road safety committee at a recent monitoring committee meeting, and has since included the issue as an agenda item for More...