Simon Bridges gives his parting thoughts on crime in Tauranga.
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges has taken aim at some of the city's most influential entities in a farewell speech on his last day in the role.
Bridges is set to speak at a city leader's event today, hosted by Tauranga Business Chamber. The noon event comes after Bridges presented his valedictory speech in Parliament in which he referred to being better to burn out rather than fade away.
In speech notes provided to the Bay of Plenty Times, Bridges listed 10 things he believed would make Tauranga an even better city.
These began with a call for greater leadership to help revitalise the CBD.
"By leadership, I mean that others outside of TCC [Tauranga City Council] need to pull our weight. Actually, of all the funding partners, TCC is the least able to do the heavy lifting.
"As we've seen recently, central government has no shortage of money, but neither do local organisations like the [Bay of Plenty] regional council or TECT and Bay Trust."
Outgoing MP Simon Bridges speaking at a Tauranga Business Commerce city leaders' lunch on Friday. Photo / Talia Parker
Bridges said the regional council often managed to fly under the radar, but "some of us know it does not currently do its fair share here".
In addition to this, TECT was at risk of frittering away its money on "low-value projects and studies and frankly intangible, ephemeral nonsense if it's not very careful".
Bridges suggested corporate entities such as Zespri, Ballance and the Port of Tauranga could help to sponsor cultural and social infrastructure.
"One other thing, on our CBD; unelected planners in local and central government need to get a grip and back off when it comes to the CBD and transport. The people of Tauranga are all for public transport, but cars and carparks in our CBD aren't evil."
Bridges also touched on housing, saying there was too much red tape and a lack of infrastructure to allow developers, big and small, to provide more housing. He also spoke of the need for a four-lane State Highway 2 between Tauranga and Katikati.
"This would not only be an economic game-changer, but would save hundreds of lives over time."
There was also urgency needed in consenting and building a berth extension at the port's Sulphur Point site, due to the port's crucial role as the backbone of the local economy, he said.
Too few people recognised this, Bridges said.
"Too many in the current government and, sadly, a few locally seem to think we can have champagne living on a beer income, as my old man used to say. No. We need a strong export and import economy – and that entails an expanded, fit-for-purpose port - to pay our way in this world of ours."
Bridges wound down his speech by advocating for more green spaces, comparing Tauranga with other New Zealand cities and suggesting it fell woefully short.
The Tauranga Business Commerce city leaders' lunch was packed. Photo / Talia Parker
"We have a number of nice small parks, playgrounds and a small greenhouse up on Cliff Rd but, frankly, nothing to come remotely close to these green spaces in every other city of any size in New Zealand.
"It was for this reason I have been at the forefront of the opposition of the proposals by TCC to turn the Tauranga Racecourse, golf course and surrounds into housing or other government development. In addition to the property rights concerns I have, Tauranga needs more green spaces, not fewer.
"I urge others to think about this and whether it's at what I call the racecourse land in mixed-use or out Kaituna way or elsewhere, a large greenspace with gardens is something worth beginning to think about and plan for."
Bridges closed his speech by saying it had been a privilege to be Tauranga's MP.
The regional council, BayTrust, TECT and city council were contacted for comment.
