Report puts Tauranga City Council under pressure

File photo.

The Tauranga City Council has been identified for over promising and under delivering for several major projects, a report has revealed.

Max Pedersen Consulting authored the report, investigating four embattled council projects all marred with issues, ranging from unfinished consultation, bad project management, poor budget reporting, costing and omitting key details from the public.

An emphasis made on the report was around staff completing tasks, rather than facilitating the best outcome for the community.

'There is a clear link between the culture of an organisation and its performance,” says Max.

"If consistently better performance is to be achieved by council staff, the culture needs to change so that the community is at the forefront of all services provided and projects that are undertaken."

The Greerton Village Road upgrades were one project investigated, and key information was revealed around how congestion was likely to worsen after a major roading project was completed was omitted from consultation.

"The predicted negative impact of the project on traffic flow on the overall network from Cornwall Street to Pooles Road was a fundamental piece of information that should have been communicated to the community," Max says.

"The fact that it was omitted means that the community did not possess all relevant information about the project and accordingly could not reach an informed opinion about it."

Another project investigated is the $2.5 million Phoenix car park transformation, which found "unrealistic" designs which were more expensive than the budget would allow by about 40 per cent, resulting in a scaled-back version of the project which has significantly less green space and has been likened to a skate park by local residents.

Mayor Greg Brownless says the report was part of a "warts and all" look at council instigated by new chief executive Marty Grenfell who replaced Garry Poole in August 2018.

"He [Marty Grenfell] was aware there were certain projects where there have been concerns," he says.

"He wants to get to the bottom of it as do we."

Greg says the report has been released in the public domain for the community to read.

"These issues have built up over a few years and it is what we are trying to change."

Max Pedersen's report follows another damning report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment into how council handled the Bella Vista Homes development.

The report shows council staff intervened with standard practices which contributed to the downfall of the development resulting in a $14.2 million payout to homeowners.

Councillors will respond to both reports at a council meeting on April 16.

-Additional reporting from Stuff/Matt_Shand

You may also like....

7 comments

Staff reshuffle!

Posted on 15-04-2019 19:22 | By myview

I wait with bated breath for staff heads to roll after this report.


Half the facts.

Posted on 15-04-2019 20:07 | By Cynical Me

Even Peterson didn't get all the information. Especially about Greerton. Snift out the staff mailboxes. A sk about the What happened to the notes from the very first Greerton Consultation Meeting. Were there any notes taken at the consultation afternoon by the library, when everyone was at work. Just another half a report. Better than some but still not a high pass.


Set in concrete

Posted on 15-04-2019 20:40 | By Kancho

No surprise there then . Everyone knows what a shambles Greerton has become. Backed up traffic caused by inept design with one roundabout taking all traffic in all directions with a single lane A massive bottleneck. Traffic now taking to side Streets. Shopping now to avoid. Makes travelling more time consuming and frustrating. None of it necessary and very expensive.


Tom Ranger

Posted on 16-04-2019 09:06 | By Tom Ranger

Hairini/Welcome Bay Underpass debacle? - Stupid Bus lane decisions - traffic issues city-wide!!! Sack the lot of them.


Thanks 1

Posted on 16-04-2019 10:08 | By teddybear

Firstly a big thank you to Mayor Greg Brownless and the council CEO Marty Grenfell for what appears to be an open inquiry into the inner workings of the rate payer funded employed members of the council. I only hope that they have the guts to pursue any major failings within the organisation with harsh consequences, as and if required. And be open enough to report any such decisions to the ratepayers. I would also like to know if the council and the mayor would care, or dare, to enlighten the rate paying public as to the plans of Bay Venues to spend multimillions of our dollars in developing a new swimming pool complex planned for Memorial Park, to avoid having to spend much less on major upgrades and redevelopment of the existing pool.


Thanks 2

Posted on 16-04-2019 10:09 | By teddybear

This was reported here on Sunlive over a year ago and showed the grandiose money grabbing over the top scheme. It appeared from the illustration in the report showing the scheme destroying three already much loved and patronised facilities in the park. Namely, half the indoor multi use ball sport courts, the miniature golf course, and the miniature railway. And because of this new venue probably half the green space in front of the war memorial for extra car parking. Also would the council budget in the development cost to re-establish these displaced facilities so that the once happy park users still have these well patronised pastimes available in the future?


Establishment Review of all Staff

Posted on 26-04-2019 13:52 | By Ceem

Clearly with all the aforementioned problems it is high time the Mayor called for an independent staff review whereby all staff, including managers, must justify their position based on performance. Dead wood may be exposed.


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.