Time to put Tauranga back to local democracy-Luxon

National Party leader Christopher Luxon said he respects the commissioners' work. Photo: Georgia Minkhorst/ SunLive.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon thinks Tauranga should have held local elections last year but does think the commission was necessary.

During his visit to Tauranga on Thursday, Luxon and Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell stopped by the SunLive office for an exclusive interview.

The commissioners being appointed to Tauranga City Council and issues facing the Western Bay of Plenty were hot topics.

In February 2021 a government appointed commission was instated at the council to replace the dysfunctional mayor and councillors. It will remain until July 2024 when an election is held.

Asked his thoughts on the commission, Luxon says: 'We felt it was very much time to put Tauranga back to local franchise and local democracy and restore the council.”

He says the party would have liked to see that happen last year when local government elections were held.

'We think it's time that the council's restored to Tauranga.

'I fully understand why a commission was appointed, it's a difficult job for them to step into frankly as well.

'I respect the commission and the work that they've done because I think it has been very difficult stepping into a difficult and dysfunctional space, and it's a difficult job.”

Asked if he thought it was necessary given the behaviour of the previous council, Luxon replied: 'There is responsibility when you take on the role of public service you have a responsibility to the people that you're representing.”

'It's important that egos and collaboration and civility, and actually you can disagree strongly without being disagreeable or personal with each other. That behaviour and that character and that leadership really matters.”

The challenge to councillors when they were elected in Tauranga was to get things done, says the party leader.

'You don't just have council because it's a squabble fest. You've actually got to get things done for people.

'As you've seen even in the last round of elections across the country, people are frustrated with politicians not getting things done.

'That's my call to all politicians is that we have to model out the standards of leadership that we want to see in our fellow citizens. We've got to carry ourselves with civility.”

Asked if National were to become government would they change the timing of the commission's exit, Luxon responded: 'I haven't worked out the precise timings of all of that. I've got to still become government.”

'But our intention would be to try and move very quickly to make sure that we can restore local democracy here.”

Christopher Luxon and Sam Uffindell agree infrastructure is one of Tauranga's biggest issues. Photo: Merle Cave/ SunLive.

Luxon says the biggest issues facing Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty were infrastructure, housing and crime.

'There are major challenges with infrastructure here. Projects that have been on, off on, off. And now a city that's deeply and problematically congested.

'There are major challenges here around crime. The rise of gangs and we are seeing that across New Zealand, but it's a stronghold here in Tauranga.

'There's also some real challenges around housing, which is linked to the infrastructure,” he says.

'They're not dissimilar issues to [what] we see across New Zealand, but, as local government, as central government, that's what the people care about and that's the things that we need to go to work on and to solve for them.”

If National were to be elected in October, Uffindell says infrastructure priorities were stage two of the Takitimu North Link and upgrading State Highway 29 as well as a third berth at the Port of Tauranga.

'During the byelection we did commit to building State Highway 2 all the way up to Ōmokoroa,” says Uffindell.

Stage one of the TNL from Te Puna to Tauranga is underway with completion expected in 2028. The government pulled funding for stage two from Te Puna to Ōmokoroa in 2021.

'We really need to see State Highway 29 built with a grade separated freight corridor, that is absolutely crucial.

'There's going to be near a 70 per cent increase in freight traffic coming in there over the next couple of decades.”

Tauranga's has New Zealand's largest port so it was 'absolutely crucial” the roads feeding it were 'sorted out”, he says.

'The other key infrastructure piece … is the housing. I think we have an income to house price ratio here of 11 to one.

'We also have the fastest grown city in New Zealand, so we've got some significant challenges.

'We need to make sure that we've got houses for people and affordable ones.”

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

8 comments

Transparency + In-Depth

Posted on 10-02-2023 18:05 | By Yadick

In our return to an elected Council we MUST have transparency and an in-depth overview of each candidate. Not half a dozen lines telling us what they want us to hear. We cannot afford to put the same numpties back in to warm the seats, line their pockets and evolve their ego's even more. We need a complete new set of candidates or we're back to stagnated numptyville. To Sam Uffindell, would be great if you had a regular blurb in Sunlive. Good to finally hear a little something from you.


Just saying

Posted on 10-02-2023 19:41 | By Merlin

Just saying I hope their costings from their 5th shadow Finance Minister since the last Election for all these promises are better than two of their shadow Finance Ministers are better than the billions of dollars errors they made.


How to regain democracy

Posted on 11-02-2023 17:50 | By adrianmullershow@gmail.com

Just like many democracies, eg Trump in USA, we need to ensure there is some way we can ensure people elected to Council will not get together BEFORE Council meetings, and plan WHICH agenda stuff they will agree to. This is the reason we have to pay the enormous sums for these Govt, appointed Councillors. This is why people like Tenby Powell, ex- military, (and exoecting to be obedient to seniors) failed, as a smaller group pre-planned where they would support him. Who are these inner group people. We will never know!!


@muller

Posted on 12-02-2023 06:54 | By Slim Shady

Interesting thoughts. In the Beehive we have people who are Party members, governed by the Whip. We have collective Cabinet protocols. But you want people not to “get together” beforehand in local chambers to discuss plans and policies? So how would it function then? Someone, who you don’t name, just draws up some plans and they have 5 minutes to vote yes or no. Sounds less democratic than before. Sounds a bit like you want a lone person dictating everything. Here’s me thinking politics is about consensus, rather than allowing a dictator to rule the roost. The mystery people are elected Councillors.


No Luxon, we didn't need them

Posted on 12-02-2023 09:45 | By an_alias

If the people voted in can't work together then we go to another election. There is never a need for un-elected people to take over democracy. That's how we do it if a MP retired isn't it ? Come on man, use your brain and stop defending non-democratic govt appointments which end up being kickbacks. How much has Tolley + the 3 Amigos made out of this ?


Council approval rating says it all

Posted on 13-02-2023 12:15 | By jed

This council are behaving badly. Building a shrine for themselves in the CBD. They've turned my area in Mt Maunganui into a congested traffic zone , and far more dangerous than pre-design changes. Trying to do a left turn requires forcing into traffic or you'll be stuck for 5 minutes. I don't know where their traffic people are trained, they don't know what they are doing. Links ave never had any accidents but they closed it nonetheless. And, water restrictions in the wettest year ever? What is going on? My rates have tripled in the last 10 years, but, there is nothing to show for it at all as they've frittered money away on nothing.


true, but

Posted on 14-02-2023 09:08 | By Don Twori

why does Uffindell need Luxon to do all his thinking for him? Is he too busy just spouting the party lines? Plus its easy for Luxon to criticise,but we know they did nothing in the 9 years they were in power. time to ACT?


Guessing

Posted on 19-02-2023 21:04 | By R1Squid

Chris L is helping to wipe the egg off of John Key's face after the negative leadership result following the latest poll.


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.