Matt Cowley Tauranga City Councillor

Like it or hate it, the season has arrived – when Tauranga's population bulges with life. There are many events around the city catering to a variety of tastes. We're fortunate people choose to spend their summer – and cash – in our city. To find checkout what you need to know for summer in the Bay, visit: www.tauranga.govt.nz

For as long as people continue to flock to Mount Main Beach for New Year's Eve, I'll continue to support council's events programme. It provides a safer environment than if council did nothing. Not only is it a great opportunity to showcase the life of our city, but people might look for their own entertainment if it wasn't provided in a fun and safe environment.

Routes rather than sirens

Early in December, council agreed to stop the tsunami sirens project. We learned from the council's previous process and findings from Japan's earthquakes. Good evacuation planning, public education and training exercises were more effective in saving lives in Japan than an official siren warning system. The sirens also create complacency, as people are reliant on official responses.

Our goal is to get the most people to safety and away from danger. I don't believe sirens are the best way to achieve this. We've agreed to spend half the funding on securing pedestrian-friendly evacuation routes and signage, to get people to nearby elevated areas. In Japan, the cars quickly became a hazard when the roads became gridlocked.

We're also focusing on building community resilience to civil defence events. The response to Christchurch's earthquake was successful when neighbours looked after each other until help arrived, which might have taken a couple of days.

New Year's break

Council's next formal meeting will be on January 28, 2014. This is when we'll discuss the full draft 2014/2015 budget. We may also get together informally beforehand, to ensure we have all of the information to reach good decisions. We've also been invited to various events, openings and shows throughout the city. The opening of the Bay Oval cricket pavilion at Blake Park on January 2 should be great, in preparation for 2015's cricket world cup.

Any free time I get will be spent finding my fitness I lost during long elections campaign. Please look after each other during your summer break; be kind to those who are working during summer, listen to the lifeguards and never swim alone.

Feel free to email me your thoughts (matt.cowley@tauranga.govt.nz), call/text on 027 6989 548, and follow me at: www.facebook.com/a.younger.voice.