Labour's Spokesperson for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern says its 'crazy” Western Bay of Plenty has no museums operating and believes councils should be playing a more responsible role in enhancing culture in their communities.

Visiting the Western Bay region on Wednesday, Jacinda Ardern told SunLive the ongoing challenge for Tauranga's arts and culture sector – which are playmakers in enriching the community – is council aid.

Labour list MP and spokesperson for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern talks with Tauranga Art Gallery director Penelope Jackson on her visit to town this week.

'But whenever we hit a rocky economic period there is a bit of view that the arts and culture sector is a ‘nice to have' – and we've really got to start moving away from that,” says Jacinda, who spent the day visiting Kaka St Special School, Victim Support members, Young Labour at Bay of Plenty Polytech campus, Creative Tauranga and Tauranga Art Gallery.

'This sector has an economic basis to it as much as it does have a role in enriching our community – and it's about changing the thinking that sits around that.”

Jacinda says if regions like the Western Bay are looking to attract industry, they need to offer not just jobs and good infrastructure for businesses to emerge but culture and the arts.

'We also need to provide lifestyle – and we need to provide culture and a sense of place –that's what a creative community does and I think that's a role we need to play here in Tauranga”.

Asked how Labour' policies will touch Tauranga arts community, Jacinda says it's about acknowledging council do have a role to play in the sector.

'And that's one of the biggest changes in recent times; the Government has removed any role council has in those extra wellbeings.

'They changed the act that applies to local government to say ‘no, you're not obliged anymore to worry about the cultural wellbeing of your community' – and we think that's wrong.”

'We don't think it's optional – we do think councils have a role to play – because councils are at a local level and understand their needs,” says Jacinda.

'We think council has more of a role to play than just rates and rubbish.”

Jacinda says both Katikati and Tauranga's museum collections not being on show to the public – since Katikati Heritage Museum closed on May 14 – is 'just crazy”.

'I know there has been along debate around a museum in Tauranga – but to lose existing infrastructure and have collections not being accessed – that just leaves the community poorer for that and that's a real shame.”

Jacinda says Labour, when in government, had a real focus on regional museum and set up a fund to ensure they were 'properly supported” – 'because it's one thing to have a national museum and national collection but we have our own local stories to tell”.

Also talking to people about Labour's Best Start policy, which aims to give support to families with new children by payments of $60 per week for a baby's first year of life for all families earning under $150,000 per year, Jacinda wasn't able to meet with police.

But she has concern police across the board are experiencing budget cuts.

With $40 million cut out of the police budget in the last round and no more funds allocated to the force in 2014's budget, Jacinda says 'were going significantly backwards now”.

'The Minister [of police Anne Tolley] keeps claiming we've got declining crime rates so we can afford to have cuts but I completely disagree – I think we're seeing an increase in violent crimes and the complexity of cases is increasing.

'Ask any police officer if the feel like they're less busy – I don't think you'll hear anyone say that they are.”

Jacinda says resolution of burglaries – and similar crimes that affect a lot of people – are also declining in a lot of areas.

Asked what Labour's plan is to solve the issue, Jacinda says a prevention focus is needed.

'It's not enough to say if crime's going down we'll take out money and resources, as you won't retain those gains, so we want to have prevention-first approach.

'It means having decent community policing and making sure you're local police are accessible – and I think that' what police want as well.”