Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris said the commission's tenure was “an interesting time" in Tauranga's history. Photo / Alisha Evans
Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris said the commission's tenure was “an interesting time" in Tauranga's history. Photo / Alisha Evans
A Tauranga councillor who was among those replaced by the commission has called for an independent inquiry into the decisions and transparency during their tenure.
Councillor Steve Morris tried to gain support from the elected council for staff to provide optionsfor an independent inquiry into the Government-appointed commission’s governance, decisions and transparency.
Mayor Mahé Drysdale said while it was “frustrating” to deal with past decisions, “stringing the commissioners up” would not help the current council move forward.
Tauranga’s council, elected in 2019, was replaced in 2021 by the four-person commission that led the city until the local election in July 2024.
Morris' push for an inquiry into the commission happened while the council was discussing the results of the second wave of its annual residents’ survey at a meeting on Monday.
The latest results showed 29% of respondents were happy with the council’s overall image and reputation. The image and reputation score for 2023/24 was 26% satisfied.
Morris said improvements in the survey were pleasing but it was compared to “an interesting time in the city’s governance history” when the commission was in charge.
He said the results showed the council was yet to “clearly define the stop and start” of the four-person commission led by Anne Tolley.
“We are still to this day dealing … with decisions that were made for which this governing body has no control over. As long as that is the case, that’s going to affect our reputation.”
Morris was a member of the council elected in 2019 that was discharged of its duties because of dysfunction and governance issues.
Decisions made by the commission included building a $306m civic precinct in Tauranga CBD, adding a $5m playground to the Tauranga waterfront alongside other upgrades, building a costal pathway in Mount Maunganui, and the decision to sell the Marine Precinct for $13.98m, which is on hold pending a High Court judicial review.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale. Photo / David Hall
Drysdale said the new council was “very different to the commissioners” and public perception of the council would change as it led with “positive action”.
“I see this as a bit of a waste of money because it’s not going to change anything that we do as a council.”
Councillor Kevin Schuler said the commission had a mandate and came in for a reason.
Instead of spending time talking about decisions the commission made, Schuler said he would rather the council started doing things “our way”.
“I really want us to have faith in what we will do as a council and back ourselves over our term.”
He pointed out satisfaction with the council’s overall performance had risen to 44% compared with 34% for the year prior.
Councillor Rick Curach, who also served on the council from 2001 to 2019, said the commissioners were appointed “to get stuff done and move the city forward”.
