Commissioners establish Council committee

File Image/SunLive.

Commissioners have voted to establish a Strategy, Finance and Risk Committee for Tauranga City Council.

Te Rangapu Whenua o Tauranga Moana chairperson Matire Duncan will be on the nine-person committee along with the current TCC commissioners Tolley, Shadrach Rolleston, Stephen Selwood and Bill Wasley, with three representatives of Tangata Whenua to be appointed along with an external independent appointee.

Two sections of the Local Government Act 2002 require local authorities to provide opportunities for Maori to contribute to its decision-making processes, and those sections and sub-sections were amended into the recommendations to make clear the reasons for Tangata Whenua representation.

In Tuesday's council meeting, Tolley explained the commissioners previously disestablished all standing committees when they were placed in charge of council affairs in February, apart from Tangata Whenua.

She suggests the placement of the committee was a means toward reintegrating an elected council in Tauranga come October 2022.

'I know there is a bit of concern about how we have got here and why we have got here,” says Tolley. 'The Commission disestablished all the standing committees of the previous council other than the Tangata Whenua council.

'On those standing committees there was a voting member nominated by the Rangapu who had a vote.

'One of the things the commission has been very clear about is that we want to maintain, if you like, the rights and responsibility of the council as much as we can, status quo, aware of the fact that part of our terms of reference is to prepare the city for a return to democratic elections in October 2022.”

However, the incoming appointments to the committee have been criticised in some quarters, including by National MP Simon Bridges, who labelled it 'anti-democratic madness” on social media earlier this month.

Commissioners state the committee would be advisory and not decision-making.

It is also made clear that the externally appointed independent member of the committee should have a background in financial expertise, something the commissioners are currently of the belief is lacking.

The Te Rangapu chairperson will not have voting rights on the new committee.

The committee will schedule to meet every six weeks aiming to assist and advise Council in discharging its responsibility on various aspects, consider strategic issues, monitor progress and review and determine policy and bylaw frameworks.

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5 comments

Tail waving the dog!

Posted on 28-04-2021 11:24 | By Equality

Some serious things are happening in our country. The ethnic minority of 16% (?) is taking over in all aspects of our life with the 'kind' government being willingly led down the garden path. Racism reigns in NZ. It has come to a 'them and us' situation and the divide grows wider every day. If we lived in US or other parts of the world there would be riots in the streets. We sit back and let it happen. Roll on election time!


Jobs for the Boys?

Posted on 28-04-2021 13:41 | By morepork

If it has no voting rights, why establish it? And WHY was Tangata Whenua not also disestablished like all the other committees? ("Because the Council is required to give voice to Maori" would be the stock answer, as if it is NOT required to give voice to EVERYBODY?) Simon is right that Democracy in Tauranga is being undermined by misguided and misinformed people who think they are "helping" Maori, when, in fact, they are just setting Race Relations back decades. The unelected Commissioners are implementing a Government line which Tauranga did not vote for.


The worst of the worst

Posted on 28-04-2021 18:45 | By Accountable

Those that are easily influenced will now realise we had a far fairer form of governance than the present four commissioners that have recently been forced upon us. This latest fiasco is easy to thrust upon the ratepayers who have no form of recourse such as voting out these four very unprofessional people who have been given the unwarranted titles of commissioners, who sadly, obviously have absolutely no intention of listening to the majority of people who are against any type of separatism. They are the puppets of the racially driven Labour government and the sooner we have, firstly a Council election and then possibly the most important general election that New Zealanders will ever participate in, the better off the race relations in New Zealand will be.


Hmmm

Posted on 28-04-2021 20:32 | By Yadick

Wonder if a committee will be formed to appoint the committee . . .


Hahaha

Posted on 28-04-2021 23:08 | By Let's get real

When you don't know what to do.... Form a committee and load it in one direction or another. Pathetic... and as Mr Bridges says... Totally undemocratic. Tolley is protecting her position for future appointments by cosying up to the current minister and her political agenda.


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