Amalgamation talk in city

Amalgamation will be the talk of the town this Friday. At least that's what's on Stephen Town's lips as he returns to the city for a speech to fellow business leaders and the city's citizens.

The former Tauranga City Council chief executive officer will be in Tauranga for the ‘Leaders in Business with Stephen Town' lunchtime event, hosted by Cooney Lees Morgan, at Mills Reef Winery and Restaurant on December 12.


Mayor Stuart Crosby with former Tauranga City Council CEO Stephen Town.

The theme of the current Auckland City Council CEO's speech will be ‘Auckland – Amalgamation Three Years On'.

On the agenda is savings and benefits of amalgamation and how it works – a topic frequently muted for Bay of Plenty councils since Auckland began the exercise.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce operations, events and training manager Anne Pankhurst says with a lot of discussion about amalgamation in Tauranga, looking at the city's close neighbour for the 'real oil” makes sense.

She says: 'Stephen is very aware of Tauranga, and now even more on top of what's happening in Auckland. Stephen will be a very interesting speaker and one you should book ahead for.”

Anne says amalgamation is a hot topic in Tauranga, with a number of views on the subject.

'It seemed like a great idea to speak to the CEO of the biggest amalgamation [in New Zealand], and one that had been operating for a number of years no,” she adds.

'It makes sense to understand what works, what doesn't and, if you could learn from Auckland, what would you do differently?”

Before returning to Auckland in 2010, Stephen spent eight years as TCC's CEO. He's held a variety of chief executive roles in education and local government sectors during the last 20 years.

Open to the public, the ‘Leaders in Business with Stephen Town' event is at Mills Reef Winery and Restaurant on December 12 from 11.50am.

Tickets cost $55 plus GST for Tauranga Chamber of Commerce members and $65 plus GST for non-members.

For more information, or to book tickets, visit: www.tauranga.org.nz/events

You may also like....

33 comments

Get rid of the Regional Council

Posted on 08-12-2014 11:36 | By Annalist

If amalgamation means the Regional Council functions are taken over by our own councils, then I think it's worth a look. I'm amazed how many people don't even know the regional council exists, yet its bureaucracy uses heaps of resources in our area. It also somehow got the Port of Tauranga shares which should actually belong to the people of Tauranga and not the whole region. There is NO need for a regional council on top of all the other councils we have in the area. We should reduce the number of councils and councillors. I'm not advocating an Auckland style amalgamation, I want one that works and really has efficiencies not just words.


The joke is on us?

Posted on 08-12-2014 11:43 | By YOGI BEAR

Wow, the expert on amalgamation, "Open to the public?" But not really as the ticket price is $65pp. like the cost of an audience with Stephen Town totally unbelievable. There is no credence to this wee fellow. The views he expresses will be one-eyed as he is in the midst of it all.


Overit

Posted on 08-12-2014 13:10 | By overit

Its just like the plastic waka, we dont want it!! No good will come from this.


You're right Yogi bear

Posted on 08-12-2014 13:56 | By tibs

This guy bailed from Tauranga before his term was up, to a lesser paid job in roading and has only recently become CEO of the Supercity (sic).


Annalist

Posted on 08-12-2014 14:23 | By YOGI BEAR

Great idea, however based on Auckland "they take over the function" is not what happened, they actually merged. That means all the bad things then multiply horribly into everything and all gets worse. Look at Auckland: - more staff, paid more, more debt, higher rates, 4-0 promised benefits of the "Super-city" failed, Phailed, Phaled and Fay-illed ... I rest my case, I don't know why this is being peddled as a good idea. No one outside of Councils will benefit from it.


Dynamic duo?

Posted on 08-12-2014 14:25 | By YOGI BEAR

They are back for a brief time only ... oh dear that is just to much to cope with., Would be a much better idea that Crosby went to Auckland for an audience with Town, perhaps at the new Sky City conference center, love to see how popular the idea of merger is at that meeting.


Steve......

Posted on 08-12-2014 15:45 | By Jimmy Ehu

is bringing love to town, what makes him the "aficionado" his track record is worse than the "Steamers" one this year, charging to hear this "lemon" talk is another brilliant Council initiative to keep a few developers happy.


Wisechief

Posted on 08-12-2014 16:00 | By Wise Chief

Totally agree we should get rid of the nasty RC as it was only rush into place via Warren Cooper in response to proposal by local Snr Rangatira to construct a Reef offshore in outer BOP to grow seafoods and seaweeds upon.Some been blocking it since and yet have no alternatives to provide long term employment throughout the BOP for the people who live here. About as useless as a bull with tits.


Inevitable

Posted on 08-12-2014 16:37 | By Frostbite

This is a central Government agenda (Wellington) NO amount of hand ring protesting talk fest or stamping of feet will stop this from happening.It is the structure and look of the new council we should be concerned about how will it deliver services. Will the CCO"s be twice removed from the people like they are in the AKL model. Will the community boards have any actual budget to spend and the authority to spend it. The dismantling of the Regional Council will benefit every one as this is just another expensive layer of government that is not necessary be nice to see the port money in the New councils control


Amalgamation?

Posted on 08-12-2014 16:49 | By YOGI BEAR

The only thing that came out of that was benefits to the banks, they got to lend billions more to Auckland in a rather uncontrolled and extravagant manner from start to finish. The truth of it is shown with interest costs at $1m a day for Auckland ratepayers when Town arrived, his record of massive spendings, huge salaries and multiplication of meaningless appendage organisations means that the rot will continue at an exponential rate, and rates is what all will get ... debt, rates ... debt ... there is no escape from this.


Dynamic Duo

Posted on 08-12-2014 16:51 | By Taffy

More like Laural & Hardy sorry that,s an insult to L&H more so Bill $ Ben the flowerpot men.These people never seem to amaze Crosby pushing this barrow sees himself as BOP Super Mayor don,t forget to contact Len so you can have your secret room to continue your secret squirrell meetings that have gone on for years.As for Stephen Town he was the one who as CEO the amount of debt increased and then off he went.Lastly just check the negative feedback to the Wellington proposal.


Amagation and Stadiums?

Posted on 08-12-2014 16:51 | By YOGI BEAR

A new footy stadium is the kind of massive extravagant spend up that Town would have been into and without even asking anyone, more or less anyway, been off and done it. Perhaps Crosby is looking for some guidance from "The Master" of how to wrangle that dodgy deal through the system without anyone being allowed to have any say or knowledge of it.


NO

Posted on 08-12-2014 17:16 | By Capt_Kaveman

what part of NO do they not understand


Disgusting

Posted on 08-12-2014 19:59 | By Jitter

Town is the person when CEO at TCC with Crosby pushed through a number of underhand deals which cost the the city millions of dollars. Anything he says should be taken with a pinch of salt. He will have been brought here by Crosby to push HIS case for amalgamation.


Capt_K

Posted on 08-12-2014 23:52 | By YOGI BEAR

No means yes, well at least it means that you don't know what is best for you, they do, at least they know they do know what is best for you even if you don't like it, don't want it, never asked for it and never would. They will just do it anyway cos they can ... and you pay, more rates, more debt. Think of it like the mouse and the wheel, the faster to run, makes no difference, still going to mean nothing and go no where ...


BLOODY INSULT

Posted on 09-12-2014 09:09 | By Colleen Spiro

THE RATEPAYER have to pay $65 to hear what is going on in their city. Just peeves me off....I hope it is treated just like a normal Council meeting and the AUDIO is posted to the TCC site.


kiaora2u

Posted on 09-12-2014 14:00 | By YOGI BEAR

There can be no interest in such a meeting or the contents or anyone there. It is not TCC organizing this, it is a meeting for the faithful to listen to "The Master" engineer on how to hood wink Joe public that amalgamation is a good thing. In fact that white is black and black is white and all that kind a stuff.


Nothing here but ...

Posted on 09-12-2014 14:01 | By YOGI BEAR

Mischief, this pair ar the prime reason that TCC has such massive debt already. Any scheme that this lot have any involvement with can only make things worse exponentially.


Mind your own Business Town!

Posted on 09-12-2014 17:56 | By JMF

I am surprised the Stephen Town has the cheek to show his face in Tauranga after the debacle of the Auckland 'super city' formation. He should keep his nose out of our business. Who in their right mind would pay to listen to his spiel? we know how it works in Auckland - or doesn't! And of course our PC mayor will no doubt hang on every word! Sickening the way bureaucracy works!


Crazy

Posted on 09-12-2014 18:41 | By whoami

Interesting Annalist, you want to get rid of a council not in debt who doesn't charge high rates and have it taken over by district or city councils that have been financially mismanaged and have spiralling debts. What is the bureaucracy that is using "heaps of resources"?


Schemers/scammers

Posted on 10-12-2014 08:13 | By Mackka

Don't those two smug smiling mugs just peeve you off! ?


@ nccc1 about regional council

Posted on 10-12-2014 10:16 | By Annalist

The reason the regional council doesn't charge high rates is that they are subsidised by huge income from the port of tauranga shares given to them when the bureaucracy was first set up. Since then they have wasted (?) money on things like changing their name from regional council to environment bop and back again. They have introduced race based seats. Ask how many staff there are policy analysts, strategists, communications consultants etc? Ask how smart has smartgrowth actually been? Also take a look at the percentage increase of their rates. Think you'll find it's way above even our local council. Then ask what they actually do and why they need to be a separate council???


Annalist

Posted on 11-12-2014 09:32 | By YOGI BEAR

yeah mate that about sums it up, BOPRC is a meaningless waste of time, space and money. As you point out, it is very hard to find something useful that they do or have done to date. On the other side of it, if the other local council had of got their greasy little mits on the Port shares then there would be nothing left, they would have spent that to. I am sure everyone remembers the Trust Power shares saga at TCC.


TCC little better

Posted on 12-12-2014 09:19 | By YOGI BEAR

Much of what they do is pointless, little moves and little changes, even the mould has time to grow between the toes and up and around the inmates in the CBD.


THE COMBINED FINANCIAL NOUS IS ZILCH

Posted on 16-12-2014 11:18 | By CONDOR

The mug shots of these two turkeys says it all and most Tauranga Ratepayers (75%)want nothing to do with either of them.One should never have been let back into Tauranga at all having regard to his fiscal track record and the other went close to being chucked out as TCC mayor in 2013.Those clowns that thought up this bunfest should be sent to Coventry as debt laden drongo policies are not flavour of the month.


CONDOR

Posted on 16-12-2014 11:44 | By YOGI BEAR

You have been generous indeed, "Zilch" is a gross overstatement of the truth of it.


Fail

Posted on 16-12-2014 14:17 | By Frostbite

The greatest failure of the Regional Council has been its inability to stop fuel spills in the Harbor. The excusse they offer for this is that it is a working port and accidents happen I have never seen a harbor with such a consistent slick of diesel on the surface .


Frostbite

Posted on 17-12-2014 09:34 | By YOGI BEAR

They have no interest in "stopping" spills, what would they have left to do then? Besides changing name and back again for no reason at all.


Greatest failure?

Posted on 17-12-2014 09:50 | By YOGI BEAR

A better question perhaps is what have they achieved?


Nothing!

Posted on 17-12-2014 15:33 | By YOGI BEAR

But then a lot of ratepayer pockets hammered to a pulp is something achieved I guess.


No good for Tauranga ratepayers

Posted on 18-12-2014 16:40 | By YOGI BEAR

The alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear now, Tauranga's history with the Town & Crosby show has never been any good for ratepayers and they are at last starting to see the damage that has been done. Sadly though there looks to be little respite here for citizen, looks like CEO Poole is siding up to a few developers around the place, they have been conspicuous in supporting amalgamation of the local councils but without providing any justified reasons that would give even the slightest hint of something useful for ratepayers from it all. Another round of "slaughtering the ratepayer" is about to befall us all again.


Dynamic duo

Posted on 22-12-2014 10:09 | By YOGI BEAR

When this pair have been seen together, it only spells disaster for Tauranga Ratepayers, the more often, the longer then only makes it all sooooooo much worse.


The blues brothers ...

Posted on 23-12-2014 15:44 | By YOGI BEAR

That is the pair I mean, not the good guys Batman and Robin, although all those referred to have the shades on and some of them more than others.


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.