The mould that's driven council staff out of the city administration block could be used to re-evaluate all city council options for service delivery.

That is just one of the suggestions being put to councilors today as part of the Long Term Plan Process.

The mould is a great opportunity for Tauranga city, says chamber of commerce interim CEO Toni Palmer.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce interim CEO Toni Palmer will be speaking on the chamber's LTP submission this morning, and thinks council should use the mould as a catalyst for change.

She's one of around 100 people who will be giving the council their views on the plan over the next three days.

'How the council responds to the options presented by the problems with its present buildings is one of the most important decisions the Council is likely to make over the next decade,” says Toni.

'It should only be taken with the full support of the city as a whole.

'The current problems which the council has with its civic and administration buildings should be seen as a one-off opportunity to consider the future shape, role and function of the central city/CBD.”

Instead of going straight to the repair and renovate option, Toni is urging council to explore options including demolition, with the objective of opening up the central city to create a plaza/destination as foreshadowed in the 2007 City Centre Strategy.

It would also provide an opportunity for council to look at how it delivers the majority of its customer facing services - from a single centralised administration block far removed from any of the council's communities, or through a more devolved and de-centralised approach.

'Rather than looking at the city centre as another retail hub, it has another role that is significant within the region's development,” says Toni.

'This also allows for each of the other hubs to have a clear and defined role within that planning structure.

'For example, The Mount is becoming recognised as a tourism boutique centre, Papamoa has already begun to grow its own coastal identity and as the city grows, it will become the centre of the southern isthmus, with Bethlehem developing to the North.”

The current CBD - Tauranga's commercial, civic and cultural hub - is unlikely to be replicated anywhere else in the region and as such sits apart, she adds.

'From this basis a number of issues that council seeks opinions on would be answered in a strategic and cohesive way, rather than ad-hoc projects,” explains Toni.

'They would be covered as growing the region's city centre and then a clear vision as to how and why each hub has its place.”

'The draft ten year plan does not appear to have a strong, clear, cohesive vision for the region, and we would strongly recommend that Council articulates that.

'It is from a vision that people and businesses take confidence to invest both personally and financially into the city.”