Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga City Council: A new era

By Natalie Dixon
Bay of Plenty Times·
30 Oct, 2013 09:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Cr Clayton Mitchell (left) congratulates Cr Kelvin Clout for being chosen as deputy mayor. Photo/Joel Ford

Cr Clayton Mitchell (left) congratulates Cr Kelvin Clout for being chosen as deputy mayor. Photo/Joel Ford

Tauranga's new-look council has been sworn in, with Mayor Stuart Crosby saying ratepayers can expect a united leadership that will focus on a new vision for the city.

The prediction comes after the recent election wiped out seven of the 10 councillors, with Mr Crosby clinging to his mayoral chains by just over 500 votes.

After the councillors were sworn in before a large crowd they confirmed Cr Kelvin Clout as deputy mayor during the new council's inaugural meeting.

In accepting the position, Mr Clout vowed not to become the mayor's "yes man".

"That said, I will seek to repay the faith Stuart has put in me by making wise decisions," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Crosby told the crowd ratepayers could also expect a "culture shift" within council.

"In the next 100 days people will notice a big change, there will be a new vision for our city, a new direction," he said.

"After the election we knew that change must take place, that we must move our city forward - we are up for it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We know that the true potential of this city can be achieved by a strong, united leadership team."

His optimism was shared by other councillors, many of whom, while positive about the future, reflected on the job ahead.

Cr John Robson described the meeting as a time for reflection, not celebration.

He said in three years' time he hoped to be able to celebrate Tauranga being a better place.

Discover more

New council debt worry

13 Nov 09:00 PM

Cr Gail McIntosh said the re-elected mayor and councillors must join the "newbies" in delivering a new vision for Tauranga.

She said the community's call for more gender balance in the council and more experienced business people had been heard.

"I only made one promise during the campaign and that was to make better decisions and I intend to keep it," she said.

Cr Steve Morris, who will chair a new community development committee, said it was the most fulfilling role he had had in his life. "And it has only been two weeks."

He said he was looking forward to helping neighbourhoods "take the city back".

"I believe the community are up to the challenge," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I believe the staff are willing to embark on this journey and finally the governance of this city has caught up."

Another newly elected councillor, Matt Cowley, also called for major changes, telling the crowd it was time Tauranga City Council caught up with the leadership practices of successful global organisations, focusing on competence and clarity.

"Leaders of these organisations have evolved from the traditional hands-on command and control structure and we will do the same," he said.

Cr Cowley said he was keen to tackle some of the issues that had been put in the "too-hard basket" by former councils.

The three re-elected councillors - Catherine Stewart, Bill Grainger and Rick Curach - said they were looking forward to the new direction and thanked the community for once again voting for them.

"This election was quite extraordinary," Cr Curach said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I am not aware of any council which lost 70 per cent of its representatives in my history in local government.

"The message I took out of that was that we were out of touch so we need to be better and we are determined to."

Cr Bev Edlin said she was excited about the city's new direction and working with a "diverse and very talented group of people", while Cr Clayton Mitchell held up an image of a smiley face, saying a "picture often says a thousand words," to describe how he was feeling.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

08 Jul 01:36 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

08 Jul 01:04 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

08 Jul 01:36 AM

Information sought about man in a green coat and gumboots.

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

08 Jul 01:04 AM
'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM
'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

07 Jul 08:39 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP