City failing on delivery

Tauranga City Council's City Delivery committee will hear how budget cuts are eating into the city's performance levels to the point where it is failing to meet key performance indicators - particularly in transport.

A report, to be discussed at today's meeting, suggests the council's stated intention of encouraging more commuters to use bicycles is being endangered by council funding cuts to walking and cycling tracks.


According to a report, Tauranga City Council are putting their own policies in danger because of budget cuts. Photo: File.

Another objective to inspire cyclists and pedestrians to use selected routes, such as Matapihi, Harbour Bridge and Chapel Street, is also failing thanks to council's reluctance to back their own policy financially.

Other transport measures red flagged in the report are road maintenance and footpath construction, with a backlog of city streets requiring a re-seal.

Council's claim to ensure more than 98 per cent of urban roads have at least one footpath is also in danger because of further cuts despite their stated goal of increasing the walking and cycle network by six kilometres.

Other delivery areas where the council if falling behind on its stated goals and objectives is in reducing pollutants entering the stormwater system. It received 100 complaints over the last financial year - 68 phoned in by the public and 32 from staff. The goal was less than 80.

Some 72 of the complaints related to some type of possible pollution or contaminant entering water ways, while 13 were for sediment run off from building sites, five referred to dead ducks and ten were for solid waste/rubbish dumping.

Elsewhere, Baycourt Theatre is well behind its expected attendance levels of 50,000 patrons attending shows/events, with only 32,173 attending for the financial year to date.

A note in the report states the total is expected to come under target because the theatre will not be hosting the Tauranga Musical Theatre production that usually sells around 3,500 tickets.

The intended Baycourt event mix is roughly split into one third youth focused events, local not-for-profit events and commercial/professional events.

You may also like....

9 comments

PAPAMOA before OMOKOROA please Council

Posted on 25-05-2015 13:15 | By Watcher 1

Papamoa has a population of over 20000 and growing fast yet, still servere flooding along Papamoa Beach Road Domain Road to Papamoa East reducing even vehicle traffic to only ONE lane in parts after heavy rain. All it would take to improve this is to remove the sand from the road edge to allow the water to drain away into the existing lower contours on the beach side of the road again, Councils lack of simple solutions and maintenance. There is NO Provision of a marked safe cycling route or provision for one from Domain Road along to Papamoa East so please Council, look after Papamoa ratepayers first before spending money on the Omokoroa to Tauranga Cycle link.


Not cutting what they should

Posted on 25-05-2015 13:16 | By Annalist

I can't understand the huge amount of ratepayers money pumped into sports and arts which should be user pays, not council pays. Why on earth is the council effectively funding a performance sports type centre in the old Cozzie club? Why does council continue to prop up the art gallery with $$$ ever year, let alone the other outfit that took years to get some money together for statues?


Wonder Why

Posted on 25-05-2015 13:24 | By tabatha

Too much money being spent in the wrong direction. Some of it in excessive staff for a start. TCC needs to look long and hard at its self and forget the huge contractor bills and become more self sufficient.


R.I.P

Posted on 25-05-2015 13:56 | By Jimmy Ehu

to the city centre, the place has had dry rot issues for years now it is in its death throes!!!!, try counting the empty shops, be warned take a calculator with you, and Council think a lot of students will rectify the issue, we are heading for a CBD full of $2 shops and student bars, retailers will man the life boats and head somewhere else, fancy "Rotovegas" being more proactive than Tauranga with a no traffic and partially covered shopping CBD.


Yeh, right!

Posted on 25-05-2015 13:57 | By Murray.Guy

A report, to be discussed at today's meeting, suggests the council's stated intention of encouraging more commuters to use bicycles is being endangered by council funding cuts to walking and cycling tracks ... This assumes that the targets 'set by staff and pro-cyclists' are realistic in the first place! EG: Zero Waste. Local Authorities, Government agencies promote all manner of targets and most are set at unachievable and unrealistic levels. Will be interesting to read if the EM's fall for this propaganda. Same goes for road re-seals, mostly done on a cyclic basis rather than an identified need.


Backlog?

Posted on 25-05-2015 15:36 | By dgk

If there really is such a backlog of city streets requiring a reseal, maybe our councillors could name them so we can see if they really do need a reseal (and not just contractors lining their pockets).


@ Jimmy Ehu

Posted on 25-05-2015 16:48 | By Bop man

Have you noticed that rotorua has no malls in the burbs like Tauranga/Papamoa does, this is the only reason people are not going to the CBD any more the malls are closer and more convenient. And wouldn't call rotorua fancy...


IF

Posted on 26-05-2015 06:59 | By Capt_Kaveman

Papamoa beach road lost those stupid power poles and the road widened + put in the extra cycle lane then people would prob use it


Not surprising...

Posted on 26-05-2015 12:31 | By penguin

...that Baycourt attendances are down. Look at some of the ticket prices for shows PLUS the rip-off "add on" costs charged by ticket agencies!! Some great shows, but...


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.