The magicians in charge of the Tauranga Council have performed yet another masterful illusion trick with their hat. A bit like the shell game scam. Consult on one thing, and then out of the hat comes a rabbit, a dove, and something completely different. The trouble is this is real life, not a magical show. Is it any wonder that Tauranga Council has the lowest approval rating of any council in New Zealand. Thank you Commissioners for your tireless work to restore trust in Tauranga Council NOT.
The magicians consulted on a building height of 11 meters, but then rummaged around in their hat and found a rabbit and a dove along with a building height of 22 meters. The IPP panel recommended keeping the 11 meter building height as consulted. The magicians rejected the panel recommendation, and have referred this matter to Penny Simmonds, Minister of the environment, and Chris Bishop, minister for RMA reform.
The magicians have partly justified their decision on the basis that it will help provide affordable housing. The high rise at the mount will not be affordable housing. It will be expensive multi million dollar apartments, probably for holiday houses. Affordable for the magicians perhaps, but not for the rest of us.
Was this another one of those famous Tauranga back room deals? Who knows. But after all, isn’t magic about what you can’t see. With magic, what you see is not what you get. Tauranga council has the lowest approval rating of any council in New Zealand ( see Scoop and The Post).
Increasing building density is a good idea, if done sensibly and in the right place. Not everyone wants a lawn to mow. It can also provide a way in for first home buyers with affordable lower cost housing. It would also allow more variety in housing sizes. For example one bedroom and two bedroom dwellings. The current economics favour three and four bedroom dwellings, or larger. Many pensioners for example who want to down size might like the option of one or two bedrooms. Young couples with or without children might prefer one or two bedrooms. The more options the better, There is no one size fits all for housing.
There are restraints on infrastructure. All the new dwellings will need fresh water, sewage, roads, and facilities. More people means more parks, more shops etc. More people means more services; accountants, lawyers, doctors, dentists, electricians, car mechanics, plumbers etc. More people means you need more commercial and light industrial areas close by. It is not like waving a magic wand, unless of course you are a magician. Perhaps the magicians can find all of those things if they rummage around in their magic hat. The trouble is the magicians will be long gone by the time we have to deal with all this. Seagull politics at it’s best.
As a mayoral candidate, I have written to the ministers, asking them to defer their decision until after the July elections. This would allow the incoming council to decide whether to go along with the magicians hat trick, or to withdraw and accept the panel recommendations. I have also asked MP’s Sam Uffindell and Tom Rutherford for their support.
Note: I have talked with Tom Rutherford. His opinion is that the minsters are likely to defer their decision until after the election, and that they would probably take a cue from the newly elected council. It is not possible to withdraw the referral. The ministers must now complete the process initiated by the commissioners, and make a binding decision.
So there is hope for the Mount community voice being heard. Make sure that you elect good councillors. We need a good team.
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