TAURANGA BUS SERVICES

What has gone wrong with Tauranga’s Bus Service? The numbers tell us that ‘All in not well’ with our buses.

I chaired the Regional Council’s Public Transport Committee from 2005 to 2010, and the Regional Transport Committee from 2005 to 2008. I was proud of the growth in our services over that time – but the current situation (see the patronage graph below) is just not acceptable.

Tauranga City Councillors think that they should be running the buses; but then they want us (through our Port dividends) to pay the bills. I am totally opposed to this, because the current councillors have a proven track record of incompetence and poor governance.

You only have to look at their lack of vision, and unwillingness to genuinely fund any visionary projects (just look at the mess in the CBD). The Tauranga Amenities Group (driven by our city’s great philanthropist, Paul Adams) had a vision for downtown Tauranga, but the ‘tall poppy’ syndrome meant that our City Councillors wouldn’t give it a serious consideration.

There is no way that I would trust the current City Council with this responsibility – it is just another ill-conceived power grab.

Yes – the new Bus Contract still has big issues., but the biggest is that, while supporting the Bus Blueprint (the strategy developed for the bus service under the new contract), Tauranga City Councillors made no commitment to funding the agreed, required roading infrastructure (which is their responsibility).

The bottom line is Tauranga Ratepayers can't rely on our City Councillors to prudently manage our existing assets - let alone giving them the responsibility to also manage our buses. All that they can think about is the $2 billion nest egg in the Port shares - they think that it should be theirs - and yet in the local government restructuring of 1989, the Regional Council got $46 million in Port assets, and the city got $46 million in Electricity assets. Both enterprises grew fantastically, but the City cashed their investment in - while the Regional Council played the long game (now worth more than $2 billiion today). That is called good governance - something TCC has been lacking for years.

A FANTASTIC LIBERAL WIN IN AUSTRALIA

ScoMo (Prime Minister Scott Morison) won an outstanding victory on 18th May. The Australian Labor Party are shell-shocked, but they were totally out=played by ScoMo’s superb delivery of his strategy.

A Melbourne voter, to the Sydney Morning Herald, summed it up nicely, saying: “I’m young, I voted Liberal, and I’m not a bigot – So, to every Greens or Labor or other minor party supporter who feels saddened or disenfranchised by the Saturday election, these facts are for you. We who voted for the Coalition did not vote out of fear, nor naivety, bigotry or anger. Rather, we voted with our hearts for a party that will do the right thing on social issues, but which can also lead a country through a challenging time economically.”

This should be a wake-up call for Jacinda Ardern – promising envy taxes and unrealistic climate actions (her so-called “nuclear moments”) will ultimately burn your support base. Voters need confidence that you can manage the economy, because that is the only way that you can fund social and environmental change – not “fairy-dust”.

Bay of Plenty shafted again - Twyford has to go

Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced the Government's package for “Let's Get Wellington Moving.” Unfortunately for the Western Bay of Plenty, spending $6.4 billion on Wellington’s transport woes means, once again, we miss out. First it was Auckland’s suspect train developments, and next it is Wellington – Tauranga is the poor provincial cousin, and we just don’t count.

Minister Phil Twyford made the announcement within days of visiting Tauranga and the Western Bay. He might speak with a “slippery tongue” but when it comes to measurable outcomes, this Labour Minister is “missing in action.” I am sure he will blame others, but the reality is that the Western Bay is a stronghold for the National Party, and neither Labour nor Winston Peters gives a damn about us.

Minister Twyford worked as a journalist and union organiser before becoming the Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand. He is out of his depth with his current portfolios (Housing & Transport) but, to be fair, he has never had a “real” job, so what would we expect.

The Bay of Plenty will be neglected, as long as Labour is in power. Our Mayors and Regional Chair need to show more resolve, and refuse to open up any more land for subdivision, until we have the roading infrastructure that can sustain it. Within our city, Tauranga City Council should only consent high density residences – building up, not out – unless roading infrastructure is funded.

This city is in crisis, and this Labour/NZ First Government is just laughing at us. Let’s make sure that the damage is limited – bring on the 2020 election.