Catherine Stewart Tauranga City Councillor

It is acknowledged a city must plan for the future. However, I believe Tauranga City Council has an opportunity to refine and reduce the number of policies, plans and organisations in place, which often have similar objectives and goals – and seek similar outcomes.

Last week elected members were given an update regarding a new spatial plan, called Invest Bay of Plenty. This is a joint project which involves the region's eight local authorities working together through the triennial to create an integrated spatial plan for the entire Bay of Plenty.

The Invest Bay of Plenty Leadership Group is comprised of mayors from Tauranga, Kawerau and Rotorua districts, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council chair and chief executives from Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Together they provide governance and oversight for development of the Invest Bay of Plenty Integrated Regional Plan, on behalf of all of the member councils of the Bay of Plenty trienniem.

We also have Smartgrowth, Bay of Connections, BOP Lass, Priorty One, Invest BOP, Chamber of Commerce, UNISA and other organisations. Tauranga City Council has a city plan, annual plan and 10-year plan that plans for the future and allocates funding resources accordingly.

These organisations are funded, in the main, by ratepayers.

Instead of creating new organisations and groups, in my opinion it would be more efficient and effective to reduce the number of organisations and policies down to a level that's more in keeping with a city our size – about 111,000 people.

Annual plan submissions

Elected members are listening to annual plan submitters this week.

Some of the topics raised include mobile shop fees, swimming pool hours, an agrichemical spray policy, stormwater issues, city centre parking, Greerton Library, Phoenix Carpark, proposed tertiary education facility, and debt management.

Thank you to everyone who made a submission. Deliberations take place the first week of June.