Tauranga’s mayor and two councillors are set to travel to China to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Tauranga-Yantai sister city relationship.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale, Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular, and Te Papa ward councillor Rod Taylor would join a wider delegation from Tauranga.

The council approved $16,166 in funding for the August trip. This included $13,574 on airfares and $2592 on accommodation.

A council report said some costs during the visit might be covered by hosts or partner organisations.

The trip would also include representatives of economic development agency Priority One, Mount Maunganui-based kiwifruit marketer Zespri and the University of Waikato.

Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular, Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Te Papa ward councillor Rod Taylor are set to join a delegation representing the Tauranga City Council on the trip to China. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

Two Tauranga Intermediate School directors and six students were also set to join the group.

The Mayoral Grant Fund would contribute $1500 towards the airfares of five students, with Priority One supporting one additional student.

The council told Local Democracy Reporting the mayoral fund was discretionary and used to support individuals or community groups for purposes that benefit the community.

The mayor considered funding requests case-by-case.

All other costs for the intermediate group, including those for the two teachers, would be met by the school.

The students will perform kapa haka and songs at events marking the anniversary, alongside cultural performances from Yantai.

Yantai No 2 Middle School hosted Tauranga Intermediate School staff and students on one of their trips to China through the Sister Cities partnership.

The school’s international director, Annemieke Hart, told Local Democracy Reporting the school had regularly travelled with students to China over the past 22 years.

“All students at Tauranga Intermediate are learning the Chinese language.”

She said staying with families of students at sister school, Yantai No 2 Middle School, provided an opportunity for Tauranga students to experience Chinese culture, traditions and daily life firsthand, and share Kiwi culture.

“Building global citizenship is an integral part of our NZ curriculum.

“Students act as young ambassadors, showcasing our local culture, values, and educational system to their Chinese hosts and the wider Yantai community.”

Pāpāmoa councillor Steve Morris said in Tuesday’s meeting that the sister city relationship had served Tauranga and the wider Western Bay of Plenty sub-region well.

“It’s important that we make the most of the opportunity.”

He asked that the council report back on trade, business and investment leads generated from the visit.

Te Awanui councillor Hēmi Rolleston said the council needed to continue to build these relationships.

“It’s easy to say, in these challenging environments, that we should restrict spending … but I see the significance of being there in person.”

A report by council staff said the partnership enhanced co-operation in fields such as the economy and trade, tourism, education, culture and urban governance.

Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris and Matua-Ōtūmoetai ward councillor Glen Crowther. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

Matua-Ōtūmoetai ward councillor Glen Crowther said he struggled to see why three elected members needed to go.

“In the scheme of the council budget, it’s a tiny bit of money, but that money could equate to some we could have spent to keep both Citizens Advice Bureau and Food Bank with the funding that they’d had.”

Drysdale, Scoular and Taylor abstained from the vote for the funds to be attributed to their travel and accommodation expenses.

Though Crowther said he supported the trip, he voted against the funding allocation amount.

The trip is planned for August 8 to 15.

Ayla Yeoman is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in communications, politics and international relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2022.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.