MOUNT MAUNGANUI AIRSHED - AIR QUALITY HAS IMPROVED MARKEDLY AT WHAREROA MARAE OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS

Sitting Regional Councillors, as well as aspirant candidates have been misinforming the voting public that the Mount Maunganui Airshed is a huge issue. Local iwi want industrial activity within this airshed SHUT DOWN. The science tells a different story – a good story actually. A story of continuous improvement actually. Yes – it did need addressing – and it is happening.

Here is an update on air quality at Whareroa Marae that was recently sent to by Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff to Ngati Kuku representatives (the Marae iwi).

All available data indicates that air quality has improved markedly at Whareroa Marae over the last ten years. 

Table 1 below summarises current levels and standards:

Note: Whareroa Marae air pollutants vs. standards (latest data). Compliance with NESAQ has been achieved in recent years, while WHO’s stricter guidelines (especially for fine particulates) remain a longer-term target.

This is another example of a "loud" group of activists who have stirred up the local community, and yet never give credit to the work undertaken by Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Tauranga City Council and Port of Tauranga (as well as other industry groups in the area - like Ballance Agri-nutrients) who have worked extremely hard to make substantive environmental improvements.

I chaired Plan Change 13 (the Regional Council's Resource Management Air Plan, in 2016 and I have been amazed at the misinformation that minority activist groups inject into the community.

Be careful who you vote for if your want genuine strong governance and financial accountability.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council approves first bus fare increase since 2018

I have to say that I am really angry at the lack of spine by many of my fellow councillors on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council when Kat Macmillan, supported by Stuart Crosby, undermined the Public Transport Committee’s recommendation for a 25% increase for  Bay of Plenty urban bus fares – the first fare rise in the seven years of the nine-year contract, with an amended 10% increase starting 22^nd January 2026. The hike affects all urban services except long-distance routes, with passengers paying up to 28 cents more (with a BeeCard) per trip.

I explained to the meeting that Bay of Plenty Regional Council only has an average farebox recovery of 60 cents per trips taken (10.85% versus NZTA’s requirement of 14.4%). The average across New Zealand is $1.87 per passenger trip. I told the meeting that if we wanted increased NZTA support for public transport we needed to address the farebox recovery issue.

Staff had recommended to the Regional Public Transport Committee an increase of 36%, and despite being told by staff that the cost to action such a small change would negate the benefit s of the change, the vote at 10% was passed by 7 councillors to 6 opposed.

It is decisions like this that see Tauranga City ratepayers paying unaffordable rates. I urge all voters in the upcoming election to only support the two councillors who voted against the 10% increase – Ron Scott and myself. You need to send a clear message that ratepayers don’t have a bottomless pot of money and we require strong governance, based on efficiency and effectiveness.

TAURANGA’S STRONG VOICE ON OUR REGIONAL COUNCIL

My name is Andrew von Dadelszen, a fifth-term Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor, having lived in Tauranga for the past 37 years. I've been committed to supporting my local community, including being a 31 year proud Rotarian, and as an active Justice of the Peace.

With a London-based MBA and a science-based approach to decision-making, I’m committed to smart, evidence-driven leadership.

My top priority is to continue to advocate, on behalf of our community, for efficiency and effectiveness, to deliver sustainable environmental and financial outcomes.

This has helped our regional council to achieve the lowest rate increase across all of New Zealand - not just this year, but consistently over the past three years.

In Public Transport, I’ve overseen the growth of our bus service from less than 400,000 to over 3.4 million passenger trips annually.

We’ve also launched a successful “On Demand” small bus trial, which I’m keen to expand to ensure public transport is “fit for purpose” for our city.

My approach is simple: If you don’t measure, you can’t manage. I bring strong governance experience locally, regionally, nationally and also internationally.

I have been a director on Crown entities, and have recently been elected as one of seven independent Board members of the National Party - along with the Prime Minister and a Caucus representative. I’m committed to science-based decision-making, reducing wasteful bureaucracy, and ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.

I stand for equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens, and a future where every voice counts.

Together, let’s protect what matters most.

The challenge ahead is clear: we must keep rates affordable by managing our regional assets with absolute care.

I’m asking for your support to continue this work.

Vote VON DADELSZEN for strong right wing governance at your Regional Council.