Tauranga has adopted a public art policy hoping to 'create a transparent and consistent process” to guide the selection of public art in the city.

A newly-appointed Public Art Advisory Group hope to provide advice on significant public art proposals and build effective relationships with the arts sector.

Venus On The Half Shell by Owen Dippie – not public art according to the policy. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

The group will consist of nine members, with three of them from council staff selected on a project/proposal basis, enabling selection of the most appropriate individuals at the required time.

The council will advertise for expressions of interest and members will be appointed by the City Vision Committee.

The aim of the policy is to encourage public art and create a process to guide application and selection of public art in Tauranga.

The move has come about because of ‘a number of requests' from the community. The council has accrued its own art collection and has also been approached about murals on public buildings.

City council polices tend to be more operational, says TCC general manager strategy group, Christine Jones.

'They tend to be more ‘how we are going to go about doing something' and the more strategic issues tend to be dealt with in strategies,” she says.

Despite its visual impact, Owen Dippie's mural on the side of Harrington Housedoes not qualify as public art under the city council policy, but the smaller and less visible work by the same artist on Elizabeth Street car park building is public art in terms of the draft policy.