Tauranga’s first council in four years will begin its official duties next week, following the election on Saturday, July 20.
The new Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale and nine councillors will be sworn in at a Tauranga City Council meeting next Friday, August 2.
The election was hotly contested with 75 people competing for 10 seats at the council table.
Drysdale won the election with a landslide 6000 votes more than former Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless, the final results show.
The nine ward councillors are Jen Scoular for Mauao/Mount Maunganui, Glen Crowther for Matua-Ōtūmoetai, Rod Taylor for Te Papa, Kevin Schuler for Bethlehem, Marten Rozeboom for Tauriko, Hautapu Baker for Welcome Bay, Rick Curach for Arataki, Steve Morris for Pāpāmoa and Mikaere Sydney for the new Te Awanui Māori seat.
Eight out of the 10 are fresh faces on the council. Rick Curach will serve his seventh term on council after missing out in 2019.
Steve Morris was part of the council in 2019 that was discharged of its duties and replaced with government-appointed commissioners in February 2021.
This time the team of 10 will have a four-year term, which is a first for New Zealand.
Mahe Drysdale told Local Democracy Reporting his priority is working with his team of nine councillors to “realise the potential of Tauranga... [Tauranga] is a good city at the moment, so it’s taking it from good to great”.
“The voters have very much said ‘we want a positive future for the city’.”
The new mayor plans to meet with each councillor individually to discuss their priorities and what skills they bring to the table.
After those meetings, Mahe says he will choose a deputy mayor and form council committees.
Asked if he was concerned that only two of the team had been on council before, he responded: “It doesn’t bother me at all.”
“I just want successful people around the table that know how to get stuff done. That’s much more important to me than having experience.
“We are a team and it’s about using everyone’s skills to deliver.”
One thing Mahe says is disappointing is the voter turnout. It was 38.7% after all the votes were counted – lower than the 2019 election, which had a 40.3% turnout.
“It’s a little bit disappointing about the turnout in voting, especially after not having that opportunity for the last four years.
“Our job as, as councillors, is to actually engage with the community. Make them feel valued and that their views are heard.
“Hopefully that will lead to them engaging more in selecting who represents them.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
7 comments
T.E.A.M
Posted on 27-07-2024 11:44 | By Yadick
“We are a team and it’s about using everyone’s skills to deliver.”
I hope that includes the voice of the city.
T.E.A.M - Together Everyone Achieves More.
Onwards and upwards.
Turnout...
Posted on 27-07-2024 13:02 | By morepork
... WAS disappointing. I think many people have simply given up and feel like they are never listened to. I remember many years ago (during a Muldoon campaign) somebody painted on the Newmarket overbridge: "Don't vote. The Government will get in." The FACT is that we should be glad to exercise our right to vote and it is a kind of Civic duty, for local elections.
I hope the new Council, under the new leadership, will move to re-engage the community into important decisions regarding the City. Publicize plans, and invite comments. Run a local poll with options that include "DON'T do it". Sometimes, it is all about timing. Something that "fails" right now, may be viable in a few years time.
Bit of a WAG
Posted on 27-07-2024 19:24 | By Watchdog
One of the mistakes TCC has made over the years is not properly engaging its citizens with Polling their opinions. I realised this when fighting Council on an issue and set about informing people who were directly affected. I'd like to talk with Mahe about what happened next. Almost 70% of people came out and voted and of those people almost 70% said "No" to Council. Many citizens are often not well informed about the reality of costs and intentions, and I believe that is sometimes intentional by some Councils.
Now we have elected a new Council, we want to hear truth, costs, and what is needed for our city. A weekly newsletter sent out by Council to all Ratepayers, with a feedback section so that we can have our say, would be a good cost effective start.
Hoping for a new outlook
Posted on 28-07-2024 20:35 | By All4it
To the above comments about engaging the public so they can oppose change.. this is how you end up getting nothing done. Having commissioners that didn't have to weigh up upsetting the voting nimbys vs progress highlighted the flaws of local democracy, which has been reflected in the low voter turnout.
The supposed pent up demand for local democracy that didn't prove accurate, was overstated by those same squeaky wheels, and hopefully is a wake-up call to the new council about giving too much weight to the "No" crowd. Unfortunately their continued council positions rely on (trying) keeping this vocal minority content.
@All4it
Posted on 29-07-2024 09:30 | By Yadick
I for one do not oppose change. We cannot possibly move forward in a positive direction without change. That potential change, in this case, must include input from the community. I do oppose a dictatorship like we had from the Commissioners. You only need to look at how many businesses, (thereby families), have been destroyed by their decisions that they forced upon us as a community.
As, according to you, voters are 'nimbys' then I can only conclude you did not bother voting, and thus your comment is null and void. Unless of course you yourself are a self professed nimby . . .
Sure
Posted on 29-07-2024 22:07 | By All4it
Input from the community is all well and good in theory but I'm not convinced the input that the main voting demographic provide is particularly useful. What they say they want, and what is actually needed are often at odds.
Obviously there are many other factors beyond the commissioners that have caused businesses to close...
Yes I voted, no I don't expect to be consulted for every little project. Taking into account people's actual habits and noting what works in other cities is a far more effective way forward.
@ All4it
Posted on 30-07-2024 08:17 | By Yadick
Now that's a much better comment. Thank you for your clarification. I totally agree with you that we don't need to be consulted over every little project. I also agree that for some businesses other factors would have contributed to their closing. Some however were still trying to save the family business from the flow on effect of Covid19 lockdowns.
Stealing all carparks from a business though is a death warrant.
We have a new Council so I say, onwards and upwards. Let's not look backwards. We cannot live in the past but we can learn from it.
So my fellow nimby, have an awesome day :-)
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