A policy to bridge the way for public art in Tauranga has been approved.
The Public Art Policy had come under criticism for lacking vision after Tauranga policy analyst Peter McKinlay said it was not a public art policy but a policy to manage public space.
But councillors voted unanimouslyto put the policy in place. It would see potential artwork assessed against artistic excellence, innovation and quality, environmental fit, impact, durability of the work and ongoing maintenance, accessibility and safety by a Public Art Advisory Group.
The group will consist of council members, up to four external members with expertise in the art sector, a tangata whenua representative and a community representative.
Councillor Matt Cowley welcomed the new policy. "There was no vision in terms of where public art is going, there was a strong demand in getting this over the line, we have a mechanism there for moving forward now," he said
Mr Cowley said the plan would not be perfect but the council was excited about updating it.
"A robust process was needed for significant proposals and this is what this delivers initially. It's not perfect but I think it will be in time, this is sound process to build trust and good faith with the public art sector."
