Matt Cowley Tauranga City Councillor

My highlight last week was seeing the emerging strengths of our local entrepreneur scene. It's just like nature bouncing back after a severe bushfire by sprouting new plant life.

Bushfires remove the mature plants that overshadow other species, stopping them from growing, and allow the seeds buried in the soil to sprout. The earthquake-strengthening of buildings, the global financial crisis, and the oversupply of commercially-zoned land in the suburbs have been the CBD's bushfire. But Tauranga is beginning to see fresh, new growth emerge.

Local entrepreneurs are gravitating together to work in clusters for mutual benefit. Co-working spaces and incubators are popping up in the CBD to create an ecosystem for entrepreneurs to establish here. Access to post-graduate students from the CBD tertiary precinct will help entrepreneurs to build robust business opportunities to impress the very healthy local angel investor community. Other clusters are also looking to establish in the CBD, such as the creative sector.

Council's role is to provide fertile conditions for these unique Tauranga clusters to flourish. We can do this by opening up access to our datasets, adjusting our planning rules, having a facilitative role with industry leaders, and building a CBD people want to experience, rather than just to shop.

I don't see the CBD as being destroyed; I see it as having plenty of opportunities. This won't be the last bushfire the CBD will face; and businesses will be challenged to adapt once again. I think it's a great thing the CBD continues to evolve for the benefit of the regional economy.

A CBD with a strong commercial and cultural heart will lead to benefits for retailers, if they can reflect the needs of their evolving environment. Holding onto the good old days won't cut it anymore, as the globalised economy has changed the rules of the game. Let's make the best of these opportunities to get ahead.

Quiet on the meetings front

There are no major council meetings while the Mayor and I are in China, Japan, and Korea for the sister cities delegation. Other councillors are busy engaging the public on the draft annual plan. There is a public roadshow happening throughout the suburbs, where you can discuss our draft plan with councillors and staff.

You will not see a column from me next week, as I'll still be visiting our sister cities. I'll let you know what we achieved when I get back.

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