Tauranga City Council chambers. A site that won't see a full team of elected members until, potentially, 2025. Photo / File
Tauranga City Council chambers. A site that won't see a full team of elected members until, potentially, 2025. Photo / File
A commission soon to be appointed to govern the Tauranga City Council could be in place for up to five years, documents from the Department of Internal Affairs show.
On Tuesday, the department released 68 pages of documents charting the Crown's decision to intervene in the troubled Tauranga City Councilby appointing a commission following a turbulent year of bitter infighting.
The release revealed advice the commission could be in place for five years; that the council's independent reviewers upgraded their recommendation to commissioners following the council's response to their report; and department officials advocating for Tauranga to invest more in its infrastructure and noting the need for substantial rates increases to meet the council's strategic direction.
The Review and Observation Team the council brought in to assess its situation initially recommended a Crown manager and observer be appointed to the council.
Councillor Kelvin Clout is concerned for local democracy after DIA documents reveal Crown intervention could last five years. Photo / File
The council considered the team's report in meetings on November 17 and 20, with a final decision to request that appointment only passing by mayor Tenby Powell's casting vote. The mayor then resigned.
On November 24, the team wrote to the department and changed its recommendation, backing the appointment of a commission.
Observer team chairman Peter Winder said the team's role had not finished, according to its terms of reference, and giving advice was part of the job.
He said the mayor's resignation "fundamentally changed" the council's position and gave the team "pause for thought" over its recommendations - as did "the way in which the council dealt with the recommendations".
On December 17, eight out of nine elected members wrote to the Minister of Local Government requesting her not appoint a commission. Only councillor John Robson refused to sign.
The department noted the letter was missing "reasonable" actions such as unanimously accepting the observer team's report and a formal council resolution agreeing to work collaboratively.
"The department expected the council to show clearly that steps had been taken to change things for the better [not just a claim that things have changed]. The council has not done this," the department said.
Tauranga City councillor Larry Baldock says much of the DIA's criticisms in documents released this week are fair. Photo / File
The documents also contained a breakdown of issues raised in the letter, with the council acknowledging the poor behaviour and infighting and offering an apology to the community. The department's response said that while this was a positive step, elected representatives had already agreed to the council's Code of Conduct but that had not prevented the poor behaviour so far.
The letter also provided a summary of milestones achieved during the past year but the department assessed these as "largely business as usual" and elected members subsequently challenged some achievements.
The department also criticised the council for endorsing the development of a long-term plan (LTP) scenario that would only partially deliver on the strategic direction agreed for the city.
"If the council were committed to delivering a robust LTP, the department would have expected elected representatives to unanimously support an LTP scenario that would deliver the required level of investment identified in the observer team report. The council has not done this."
The option the council selected would see average rates rises totalling around 45 per cent over the next three years.
In an earlier briefing, dated November 27, the department canvassed the council's infrastructure and funding challenges, noting among them "significant fiscal restraints due to a conservative approach to rate increases historically".
It noted a projected capital requirement over the next 10 years of $4.3 billion and "the need for elected representatives to agree to a rate rise of 18-20 per cent year on year in the next LTP" on top of a 7 per cent rise for the new kerbside waste system.
Tauranga City acting mayor Tina Salisbury says she will help assist a yet to be appointed commission as best she can. Photo / File
In the same briefing, the department says that if a commission was appointed, it would likely need to be in place until at least the 2022 local government elections, but that a plan for transitioning back to full democracy could include extending the term of the commission to 2025 or appointing a Crown manager to help with the transition process.
Councillor Kelvin Clout told the Bay of Plenty Times that, in his view, the escalation of the observer team's recommendation "overstepped the mark".
Clout also said he had real concern the city was "potentially going to lose democracy for five years".
He was disappointed in "the heavy-handed approach" and the letter sent by eight out of nine elected members was "a pretty strong majority".
"For them to expect 100 per cent is enormous ... unrealistic in politics to expect that. To me, that's not enough justification."
Councillor Larry Baldock said he generally felt the criticism in the documents was fair and, the way the observer team's report, in his view, was "attacked and rejected at that meeting was the beginning of the end".
Baldock also accepted the council could not gather unanimous support in the letter which was "the best we could agree on but ... there really had not been any change".
Despite the disappointment the council's LTP decision failed to impress, Baldock was accepting of the minister's decision.
"It was highly likely that commissioners were going to be the only real option to get the city on track for the future in my opinion and that is what is important now."
Acting mayor Tina Salisbury said it would not be easy for commissioners or the city but this was an opportunity to address some long-standing issues including funding and financing that need Crown and local government support.
"I will continue to work with them and our community, as much as I can, to assist this transition."
Councillor Heidi Hughes declined to comment. Councillors Bill Grainger, Dawn Kiddie, Steve Morris, John Robson and Andrew Hollis were also contacted.
