There has been a lot of talk lately on rejuvenating Tauranga’s CBD, but very little attention to it when Councillors deliberated on their Long Term Plan. I did submit on this, and am adamant that a vibrant CBD is essential for a city to have a “soul”. The key is to have vision, and unfortunately we have a Mayor who has led repetitive councils that have shown very little vision. I’m
sorry Stuart, but this is what leadership is all about, and you have continually failed to encourage a visionary approach. This is what is holding Tauranga back. It has to change…
If we are looking for a new leader for our city, then we won’t find it amongst our current councillors. We need to convince one of our up and coming business people to give six years back to the city. This will be a sacrifice, but that is what true community giving is all about. One way to encourage genuine leadership would be to have TCC councillors meet between 2pm and 7 pm, so that elected representatives can retain some core employment outside council. Our current councillors see council as a full time job, and yet they really have no appreciation of what good governance really looks like. They delve into the engine room of council, which is paid management’s responsibility, and yet don’t hold the Chief Executive to account. Just not being dysfunctional (ie the infighting that previous councils were infamous for) is not enough to qualify for good governance; but real vision and lateral strategic thinking is, and there remains a real lack of both at present. My challenge to our city fathers is to find a true visionary leader, and this mustn’t be “an old hack”. We don’t need some over 60 - burnt out businessman. We need real drive from someone who truly understands governance. We need a leader who will take this beautiful city forward; who can take councillors and staff forward, focused on efficiency and effectiveness. This is how we will manage our debt, and still grow our infrastructure, so that we stay ahead of the continual growth pains that are stifling us. We need true vision. Come on Tauranga – we have to find a true leader. The 2016 Local Government elections are just a year away. Let’s start the conversation…
If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me at andrew@vond.co.nz , or visit www.vond.co.nz