Port of Tauranga needs to improve its corporate responsibility

Port of Tauranga is a huge asset for the Bay of Plenty, and it is time for them to step up and support the community that has sacrificed so much to ensure the port’s success. Tauranga traffic is creeping back towards gridlock, and a lot of this is as a result of the big trucks that service our port.

The Port seems to think that they can “free-load” off their majority (54.14%) shareholder – Bay of Plenty Regional Council. They seem to think that it is the Regional Council’s (through its CCO Quayside Holdings) responsibility, but the reality is that the rest of the shareholders are getting a free ride. In my view the Port’s social investment is plain miserly, and sooner or later the Port risks alienating Tauranga residents with its minimal corporate social responsibility. Supporting the Half Ironman; a four year commitment to the TECT Rescue Helicopter ($62,000 pa); sponsoring a scholarship for a handful of Maori tertiary students; and a $6,000 donation to Foodbank, just does not cut the mustard.

Come on Mark Cairns – you are paid over $1.2m annually, and this city needs your help to get a change in attitude from both Directors and Senior Management. Tauranga City is New Zealand’s 5th largest city, and yet we lack the amenities of cities half our size. Our corporates need to step up, and the Port needs to show leadership – and not just remain a bludger.

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me at andrew@vond.co.nz, visit www.vond.co.nz, or just give me a call on 021-762 440.

Please note that views expressed in this column are my personal views and do not necessarily reflect Regional Council policy.

Public Transport in Tauranga is our Number One priority

In January I laid out my priorities as a regional councillor. My first priority is to improve our public transport system in Tauranga. There is widespread support for this, and already there have been meetings amongst interested parties. I am really concerned that Smartgrowth sees fit to enter the debate. Certainly they have an interest in ensuring that we have appropriate transport corridors, but I fail to see why they need to dig into the detail of our bus routes. This just adds more players to “muddy the water.” I am not opposed to a little “hui”, but the key for our Regional Council staff is to come up with sound action points, based on solid research. We can’t improve the system, both from a route and a fare perspective, unless we properly understand what we already have. This will help to answer the reasons for falling patronage (yes the total numbers moves higher, but that is only because the Ministry of Education has stopped their SchoolHopper service).

Unsuccessful Tauranga City Councillor aspirant & architect Mark Wassung continues with his wonderful “Tauranga Connect” drawings, but these are just that. They lack detail and costings, and in fact are mainly plainly unaffordable. Good on Mark for profiling our problem, but we are now in the 21st Century, and autonomous buses will be the future (and within the next 2 to 3 years). Forget rail & light rail for public transport in the Bay, as these modes are being superseded. Driverless cars, buses and trucks are the way of the future, and our Public Transport review needs to recognise this. It isn’t rocket science – it is now reality. Come on Regional Council – let’s give our city a 21st Century solution to our Public Transport woes.

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me

Looking forward to 2017

At the start of a new year it is time to set some targets to achieve as an elected Regional Councillor. I will just highlight four.

My first priority is to improve our public transport system in Tauranga. We really do have a big problem here, and improving our bus patronage will also help our increasing road congestion. Short term it isn’t about encouraging different modes of transport, but more about developing a bus system that is affordable, time reliable, and time effective. One of our current KPI’s (key performance indicators) for our bus service is that taking the bus shouldn’t be more than twice as long as taking a car. This is plain nonsense, and we need to be much more ambitious than that if we want increased patronage. Watch this space.

My second New Year’s resolution is to crack down on farmers that continue to breach environmental standards. 95% of farmers uphold excellent environmental standards, and the few that don’t need the book thrown at them. Enough is enough, and we have to get tough on polluters. Breach your consent and expect to pay the consequences. I am sure I can get strong Councillor agreement to a “one strike and you are out” policy. I was a farmer for 17 years, and am a strong farmer advocate - but breaching consents and pollution has to stop.

My third resolution is to strongly back the building of a purpose built “Coastal Marine Research Centre.” This would be a huge boost for this region, and Professor Chris Battishill needs our support to increase the efficacy of his research. The potential of our Bay of Plenty coastal waters for pharmaceutical discovery alone is huge, and Tauranga needs to become a world leader in marine science.

My fourth resolution is to continue to advocate for a revitalised CBD for Tauranga City. The building of a university campus will be a game changer, but we have to go much further. I truly believe that a stadium on the Tauranga Domain would be another. Cardiff (in Wales) has proven that a downtown stadium doesn’t need carparking; and in fact it would be a detractor. We need attendees to visit our cafes and bars, both before and after matches – to boost our local economy.

Let’s all get behind these great examples of regional development. These ideas are affordable for New Zealand’s fifth largest city. Please support my vision. Be brave. Just do it.

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me at, visit www.vond.co.nz, or just give me a call.

Please note that views expressed in this column are my personal views and do not necessarily reflect Regional Council policy.