Re-elected Pāpāmoa councillor Steve Morris only one from 2019 council to survive

Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris.

The only councillor to be re-elected from Tauranga’s previously sacked council says he is pleased to have “broken through that ceiling”.

Newly elected Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris was one of six members of the 2019 council who ran in this month’s Tauranga City Council election.

The former council was discharged of its duties due to dysfunction and governance issues. It was replaced by a four-person commission led by former MP Anne Tolley in February 2021.

In what has been hailed as Tauranga’s return to local democracy, a mayor and nine councillors were elected on July 20.

Morris said it “feels pretty good” to be re-elected because there was “a lot of negative press” surrounding the 2019 council.

He won the seat with 1273 votes, 151 votes more than runner-up Tim Maltby.

Morris said he was pleased the Pāpāmoa community returned him to the council to “keep championing the cause” and to have “broken through that particular ceiling”.

Asked if he would do anything differently from his 2019 term, Morris said he believed in collective responsibility but “not everybody can be tarred with the same brush”.

“Each person has been the author of their own demise from time to time, but you learn from it … and you move forward.”

Morris said leadership would be critical for the council’s success.

“If leadership’s distant or divisive then that’s a recipe for disaster.”

Initial conversations with new mayor Mahé Drysdale showed he wanted to work closely with his councillors, and was “collaborative and communicative rather than divisive”, said Morris.

“That’s a recipe for success.”

Tauranga’s new mayor Mahé Drysdale. Photo / Alisha Evans

The day after his landslide victory, Drysdale told Local Democracy Reporting he was one of 10 votes around the table and it was about using everyone’s skills to deliver.

Morris was first elected in 2013 and was serving his third term before the council was replaced by the commission.

Eight of the 10 newly elected members have never been on council before, including Mayor Drysdale.

Morris and Arataki ward councillor Rick Curach are the only two who have served previously.

The team had only had “informal discussions” ahead of their swearing-in on Friday but Morris said there was a lot of enthusiasm.

The community should not be concerned by the lack of council experience within the new team, he said.

“There are a good mix of skills around the table. I’m a big believer that smart people can learn quickly and get on with it.

“The ingredients are there for a successful council.”

The team was chosen by voters and would be judged on its performance, he said.

Steve Morris at a Tauranga City Council meeting in 2020. Photo / George Novak

The “rubber would hit the road” when the new council decided its approach to the council’s 10-year plan adopted by the commission, said Morris.

The 2024/34 long-term plan proposes $4.9 billion in capital investment, including more than $1b in transport infrastructure and a $574 million investment in community facilities.

During the election campaign some “very valid issues” were raised about the affordability and funding of the plan, said Morris.

He said he also wanted to restore the council’s image and reputation, which had “declined over the last four years and stayed very low”.

This would be done by the council delivering, said Morris.

The annual residents’ survey showed the council’s overall reputation rating dropped from 69 in 2018 to 50 in 2020. It fell even lower to 18 in 2021 before rising to 31 by 2023.

A score of 80 or more is considered an excellent reputation, 60-79 is acceptable and less than 60 is a poor reputation.

Key Research surveys about 150 Tauranga residents four times a year to understand residents’ satisfaction with council services, leadership and other performance measures.

The results are for the year from July 1 to June 30.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.