Straight from city council A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

Last week I discussed the wishful myth held by a number of officials and elected representatives of our sub-region that buses and walking are the immediate answer to congestion in Tauranga.

I explained we're not a European megacity that developed hundreds of years ago, where living in close quarters within walking distance of each other was common.

As a small city with a population spread out we need to rely on improved roads until we grow a population large enough to support a better bus or rail system that should be planned for now.

This last week will have seen the first joint meeting of the Tauranga City Council's Transport Committee chaired by Cr Rick Curach with Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Transport Committee chaired by former Mayor Stuart Crosby.

It's going to be an important collaboration for funding as the regional council owns a majority stake in our profitable port and they also provide the bus system.

Rick will be a good chair, he was underutilised by former Stuart in my view, but then they're politically different people. Councillors will also further discuss our committee structure.

Last year a majority – and I – decided that non-elected appointments to committees shouldn't have voting rights. Isn't that what you elected us for? I believe any appointments should bring skills that a committee needs for a fixed period of time and then move on.

I strongly believe in equal opportunity appointments but they must not be made because of a person's gender, race, religion or orientation. This last point is not shared by all my colleagues and the debate around whether to include tangata whenua representation on committees will be interesting.