Summer in Tauranga has been busy, with plenty of visitors and sunshine, and we hope this has flowed through to the commercial sector. With the holiday season largely behind us, we can now focus on getting down to business, putting our 2025 plans into action.
For Tauranga City Council elected members, work starts with bringing together a draft Annual Plan which will seek to keep rates to a minimum while acknowledging that it’s likely that 2025/26 rates increases will end up being higher than we would like.
There are two primary reasons for the increases: the cost of resources council has to buy often rises by much more than the rate of inflation, and we are playing catch up on overdue infrastructure investment which impacts council debt and interest costs.
While one response would be to cancel some of these investment plans, that would simply put us further behind in terms of the infrastructure we need to deal with the city’s housing crisis, congested road network and inadequate community facilities.
Our intent is to take a balanced approach, focusing on our urgent priorities and ensuring that everything we do provides real value for money and improves or maintains the levels of service required by our fast growing
city.
We are also looking to find ways to reduce council operating costs without impacting services, giving us options to do more for less or reduce rates increases.
Another important, long term objective is to work with our partners – the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and central government – to reach a regional deal agreement.
The aim of such a deal is to lock in future investment by central government, which aligns with our strategic priorities, driving increased productivity for our region.
Housing shortages and affordability issues, as well as traffic congestion, would be at the heart of any deal reached. We can’t afford to do this work on our own but, by securing investment from our funding partners, we will be able to get on with tackling our agreed priorities.
Any regional deal reached will be reliant on us paying our way, which emphasises why rates need to match the level of investment we require and the service delivery people expect.
We are currently looking at other revenue sources to see if there are options that would take some of the burden off our ratepayers.
Attracting new events and people to visit our city can also make an important contribution to Tauranga’s vibrancy and provide economic uplift for our local businesses.
Along these lines, locals can expect more initiatives such as the recently announced return of Chiefs rugby to the city.
Looking to the near future, I encourage all businesspeople to participate in the forthcoming 2025/26 Annual Plan consultation process and make a submission for council to consider.
We’re keen to see positive suggestions that will advance the interests of the city, and council-elected members are looking forward to meeting as many locals as possible at drop-in sessions and other events in April.
The feedback we receive about our priorities and what the plan will mean for rates will play a key role in how we proceed for the next few years.
The dates and details of engagement opportunities will be on the TCC website by the end of February – my key message is to make a submission and give us your feedback.
Ngā mihi nui, Mahé.
