New Tauranga ratepayers' group to be proposed at Lakes meeting

Residents at The Lakes will get to say whether they want a ratepayers' advocacy group established. Photo / File

Whether another Tauranga ratepayers' group should be set up and engage with the city's new commissioners will be at the core of a public meeting being held in The Lakes tomorrow.

People living in The Lakes will get the chance to say what they think the biggest issues facing the city are at a public meeting aimed at gauging whether there should be another ratepayers' group set up.

The meeting is being held at Taumata School at 7.30pm and will determine whether a Lakes residents and ratepayers' group is needed, or wanted.

Retiree Tony Gavin organised the meeting in a bid to find out what the key issues were for the community and whether it wanted a collective body to represent residents in discussions with the council's new commissioner team.

"If there is interest, we will get people to form a working group with two things in mind - one; starting up the institution and constitution, etc and two; set up engagement with the council and the commission."

Gavin said the commission would be making key decisions affecting the city and this was a chance for The Lakes to be part of that.

The former government worker has already posted on social media and distributed 2000 flyers.

He asked people on a community Facebook page whether they thought a group should be set up when Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta was replacing the councillors.

It was hoped the potential group would advocate for local Lakes matters and contribute towards the city's progress moving forward. The meeting would help establish what the community thought those issues and potential priorities were, he said.

Despite spearheading the meeting, Gavin was not interested in heading the potential group if it got the go-ahead.

"My motivation is primarily to see what the community is interested in doing. But I'm hoping that I can step back. I'm on the wrong side of 70. I hope younger and more active people can pick it up. My role is to provide an opportunity for people to come together and see a way forward.

"I just want to be a catalyst for people to move forward."

On Monday, commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said the team was eager to engage with the community to establish what people wanted action on and to ensure people were part of the commission's decisions regarding the future of the city.

There are already several ratepayer groups in the city including Grace Rd and Avenues Neighbourhood Residents' Association; Tauranga Ratepayers Action Network, Te Papa Residents Groups, Greerton Ratepayer Alliance, Mount Maunganui Residents and Ratepayers Association, Papamoa Residents and Ratepayers Association and Matua Residents Association.