In this interview with Local Focus, Western Bay of Plenty district councillor Mike Lally talks about the problems Te Puke faces as its strength wanes in favour of nearby centres like Tauranga and Pāpāmoa.
Asked what he stands for, he said the Kiwifruit Capital is no longer a destination and can only ever be a service town in the shadow of its big neighbours.
"Unfortunately, some people think it's a destination point. It's not," Lally said.
"We would like to attract people like the Warehouse or Farmers. But that is not going to happen. We don't have enough numbers."
Watch the rest of his interview in the video above.
