Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

Firstly, thank you to all those people who voted me back in as a Bay of Plenty regional councillor in the Western Bay of Plenty constituency. I am very aware it is an honour to be elected to serve the community, and I will work very hard to provide good governance and responsive and responsible representation during the next term.

We have seen quite a bit of change in the faces around the governance table this election. I am excited by the calibre of some of the newly elected councillors – at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council. The challenge of getting so many new councillors up to speed on the complexity of local government, and on the range of issues they will need to grapple with, cannot be under-estimated. The learning curve will be steep. The volume of information and council processes will be a shock to some. But fresh eyes and perspectives are always very valuable around any board table. So, after an inevitable settling in period, I expect great things from the new governance teams.

I was dismayed by the continuing trend of reducing voter turnout. I ask myself, is it apathy or is voting too hard? Or is local government just not relevant for many? It is not that information isn't provided to the community. Lots of money is spent 'communicating with” our communities. I wonder if the problem is we are not engaging in the right way and not listening. I think we can and must do better. We need to be more customer-focused and more community-friendly. That is my aim for the term ahead.

If you have any views on this or any other issue, please contact me on: neesj@xtra.co.nz or ring me on 07 579 5150.