Time to catch-up with the city's needs

Soak, Unwind & Relax

In the heart of Mount Maunganui, you’ll find the only hot ocean water pools in the world Hot Pools • Private Pools • Massage Open7days till 10pm

Monday - Saturday open 6am | Sunday & Public Holidays open 8am 9 Adams Ave, Mount Manganui | 07 577 8551 Book online now mounthotpools.co.nz

4 activities1 Location

81 Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui 07 577 8599 | baystation.co.nz

Time to catch-up with the city’s needs

Kia ora koutou,

Tauranga is a great place to live, but the message we’ve been getting from people throughout the city is that our community facilities and infrastructure have not kept pace with our needs. From my own observation, Tauranga lacks the modern facilities most New Zealand cities take for granted, and many of those that we do have are ageing. Added to that, a lack of housing stock has driven house and rental costs up to the point of unaffordability and our roads are clogged. Some of our issues are complex, but the reality is that because we didn’t start investing in solutions years ago

– now we have to play catch-up. In April, the city commissioners approved a draft 2021 – 2031 long-term plan that provides for more than $4 billion of investment in community facilities and infrastructure over the next 10 years. None of that is frivolous spending and it prioritises our most urgent needs. Unfortunately, rates increases are unavoidable, but we’re asking our business sector to pay a fairer share of the costs through an increased commercial differential rate, and developers will be asked to play their part through higher development contributions. We’re also working with regional and central government to access more infrastructure funding.

If we want to live in a city we can be proud of – now and in the future – it’s time to stop ‘passing the buck’.

Kia kaha,

Anne Tolley