Matt Cowley Tauranga City Councillor

Tauranga City Council made history this week by holding its first-ever formal meeting outside of its own building since it amalgamated in 1989.

Our Community Development Committee chairman Steve Morris dropped the formalities so the audience could engage with us throughout the meeting.

We were eager to try new things and learn from them for our next CDC meeting in Matua on July 15, from 6.30pm.

Mayor Crosby opened the Papamoa meeting by saying the new council has gone out to the community, rather than expecting the community to come to us.

I'm absolutely thrilled I was not the youngest person at the meeting.

After discussing the future growth areas of Papamoa, some passionate young people were disappointed nobody talked about building a smarter, more eco-friendly suburb.

They felt like they were swimming against the tide from what was being discussed.

Maybe it is our fault we didn't make it clear this is the exact forum where people should be discussing these issues.

We do want to hear about your issues, challenges or ambitions for your local area. When you come to our community development meetings, please feel free to swim against the tide and talk to us from your heart.

In other news council staff are red-lining their efforts to juggle an annual plan process while also starting a 10-year plan project.

We have postponed our City Vision Committee meeting until June to accommodate this workload.

While we've been flat out, some people have taken the courtesy to spark the local government amalgamation debate. It was a hot topic in the Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Northland regions earlier this year. But there's been no news out of these regions for some time.

The number of council amalgamations since Auckland became a super-city is zero. While some regions have tried, I don't believe current legislation is the most cost-effective way to get a good result for any community.

Regardless of whether you are for or against councils merging together, I'm doubtful of any outcomes until after this year's General Election.

I can't see any decisions coming from current legislation, unless there is unanimous support from all communities – a near impossible task.

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.