Nanaia Mahuta intends to appoint commission for the Tauranga City Council

The local government minister has signaled her intentions to appoint a commission to address “major governance issues” at Tauranga City Council.

Nanaia Mahuta confirmed in a statement today that the council had been informed of its intention to appoint a commission in response to “significant governance issues between the elected representatives of the council and the conclusions of an independent review.”

“I have been closely watching the council’s conduct for several months. I am increasingly concerned about governance issues and the impact this has on Tauranga taxpayers and significant investment in the region,” Mahuta said.

“The council had the opportunity to address the concerns, but has shown that more direct action is needed.”

The Tauranga City Council has 10 business days to respond to the minister’s letter of intent, which will be considered before making a final decision.

“For the taxpayers in Tauranga, I know that certainty is important. I look forward to making a decision quickly so that Tauranga can continue with its critical planning and investment,” Mahuta said.

Since the process is ongoing, no further comment will be made, according to the statement.

Tenby Powell resigned as mayor of Tauranga last month with Tina Salisbury as interim mayor.

Salisbury said the council would respond to the notification by December 18 and anticipated that the Minister would make a final decision early in the new year.

He said that if the appointment was confirmed, a commission would take over all governance-related matters, effectively replacing and taking over the role of the elected council members.

“Our community can be confident that the full range of essential city services and activities will continue to be delivered professionally, efficiently and without interruption,” he said.

“That will include moving forward with the preparation of our critical 2021-31 long-term plan, ready for consultation with the community early next year.”

The New Zealand National Council of Local Government supported Mahuta’s decision, saying it was a difficult decision that put the interests of the community first.

LGNZ President Stuart Crosby said there was disappointment in the local government sector at the need to take such drastic measures, but that it was a lesson that dysfunctional behavior would not be tolerated because it undermined faith in the local democratic process.

“Fostering a culture of good local governance is ultimately the collective responsibility of all elected members, and while the decision to remove the level of democratic representation from a council is never taken lightly, when it does it is appropriate that the responsibility is shared, “Crosby said. .

“LGNZ looks forward to the restoration of full democracy in New Zealand’s fifth largest city by population once these issues have been resolved.”