When former Tauranga city council CEO Stephen Town expounds on life in the Auckland Super City on Friday, Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby won't be there.
He's been invited to the chamber of commerce event, but Stuart says he's too busy.
Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby.
'Stephen is a very experienced CEO and I'm sure he will have some good learnings from his short time as CEO of Auckland city,” says Stuart.
'The feedback I've heard is he is doing a tremendous job which is what I expected him to do both politically and administratively.”
Critics of the post amalgamation Auckland Super City should take their complaints to former local government minister Rodney Hide, who oversaw the transition, says Stuart.
'All the (amalgamation) proposals are slightly different,” says Stuart. 'Auckland's was imposed on it by the government, and Rodney Hide is responsible for any failings of the current structure.
'He went against the Royal Commission's proposals. He is the architect of it, and can take responsibility for any failings.”
While the local government commission is currently working on local body amalgamation schemes for the Wellington Super City and Napier/Hastings, Stuart doesn't expect the Bay of Plenty to feature in amalgamation plans soon.
'I don't know if they are going to get round to the Bay of Plenty to be honest,” he says.
'There is no proposal for the Bay of Plenty. What happens is someone makes a proposal, the local government commission figures the process and goes through the various stages of it.
'I'm not aware of any proposal for Tauranga, the Western Bay or the greater Bay of Plenty and frankly I don't expect one in the next 12 months.”
'These reorganisations are a long journey. I went through the 1989 one here, and it took six years to bed in and get everything aligned. It doesn't happen quickly, people need to be patient.”
The Wellington proposal is different to the Auckland Super City, says Stuart. Component authorities get to keep existing boundaries. Poriura remains Porirua, while Lower Hutt is still Lower Hutt.
Some of the Auckland communities were split, says Stuart.
He adds: 'The Hawkes Bay/Napier one is slightly different, so the local government commission in their draft proposals appear to be having different scenarios for different regions. And they appear to be learning or making changes from each experiment.”
8 comments
he is doing....
Posted on 10-12-2014 09:22 | By Jimmy Ehu
a splendid job, just like he did in Tauranga, that is why all the "super city" ratepayers are so happy... get real Mr Mayor the only reason you are not attending is that you know the outpouring of negative feedback that will occur, and you want to keep your "teflon" persona intact, but we all know you would have had to sign off on his visit with the Chamber, and your finger prints are all over this, so you may as well sit at the top table with your developer mates, and at least try and be up front.
Wisechief
Posted on 10-12-2014 09:29 | By Wise Chief
To hell with this lame power grab idea by recently arrived foreigners come to settle in BOP. If NEW SA and Poms can have a say in RC & Councils, then why not MAORI who are indigenous locals who descend directly from those who discovered NZ & many islands around Pacific & World. Pretty Weird and SICK in HEAD mental attitude of local settlers who after 180 years here seek to maintain restrictions pertaining to indigenous peoples in their OWN homelands who are oft prevented from having a proper and rightful VOICE as to what happens upon above, around or below their lands, rivers or streams. All these now polluted in the extreme by arrogant aggressive warlike settlers from Brit/Euro/USA and now South Africa. We can be certain from past efforts input from Maori into the decision making process if one managed to get on board will be ignored.
Ostrich
Posted on 10-12-2014 11:08 | By CC8
Keeps his head in the sand. Sooner rather than later and before the next election I say, and get rid of the top heavy duplicate Regional Council at the same time.( and unproductive)
@Wise Chief
Posted on 10-12-2014 12:02 | By Jimmy Ehu
keep up with the medication man!!!!, or else at least take the elevator to the top floor.
Puzzled
Posted on 10-12-2014 16:19 | By Jitter
What the hell is "Wise Chief" on about ??? Looks as though he has lost his marbles. I agree with the other comments. However Town is an underhanded dealer as was found when he was TCC CEO.
Stop shifting blame
Posted on 10-12-2014 20:44 | By marshamaxw
Mr Rodney Hyde is long gone.What is he suggesting, we litigate Hyde?Stop shifting the blame to absolve yourself.It is no different to the 1661 posthumous execution of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell.
That is really weird..!!
Posted on 10-12-2014 23:06 | By groutby
Wise Chief, what on earth (or below) are you on about?..we all like rational discussion but...?? Can you explain please? The fact that Mr Town is coming to speak has NO relevance to me whatsoever, the fact he has the indignity to expect people to actually pay for a local government position he is well imbursed for, is totally beyond me!.. is he doing this in a private capacity...?he did nothing...NOTHING positive for Tauranga at all, who is this man?..and should we really care?
Tight wadd
Posted on 11-12-2014 17:15 | By YOGI BEAR
Crosby clearly does not want to pay that is what it will be. Guess Stephen will be at the Sebel Friday night for a catch up with Stuart. What you can be assured of is that Tauranga or Auckland ratepayers will be paying either way in picking up the tab.
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