A Chance To Speak Up On Council Move

Bay of Plenty people will have the chance in April to put their case for or against Environment Bay of Plenty’s proposed head office move.

Chairman John Cronin says the regional council’s decision to relocate the head office to the greater Tauranga area was made as an “in principle” one. The council always intended to consult with people in the Bay of Plenty about this, he says.

The actual proposal will be included in Environment Bay of Plenty’s draft Annual Plan, which opens for public submissions on March 30. This will follow the special consultative procedure as required by the Local Government Act 2002.

“When we made our initial announcement, we said we would need to investigate further, and staff and councillors are currently doing that,” Mr Cronin explains. “But we also want Bay of Plenty people to help us to make the most informed decision we possibly can.”

They can do that by making a submission to the annual plan. “We are legally obliged by the Local Government Act to take a broad range of factors into account and we are committed to doing this. We wish to make the right decision for the benefit of the region.”

Because of this, Mr Cronin, deputy chairman Bryan Riesterer and chief executive, Bill Bayfield, are meeting with Whakatane, Opotiki and Kawerau district council leaders soon. “We realise that, if we move, the biggest impact will be on the eastern Bay of Plenty. We need to take that into account.”

“We welcome the formation of the eastern Bay of Plenty focus group in Whakatane and have offered to meet with them and clarify our proposal to assist them with their deliberations and submissions.”

Environment Bay of Plenty staff and councillors are currently gathering more detailed information, including possible locations and costs. The proposal will be included in the draft Annual Plan which will be adopted for public consultation at a council meeting on Thursday 15 March.

The draft Annual Plan is open for submissions from Friday 30 March to Wednesday 2 May. The council will hear submissions at hearings in late May, in Whakatane, Tauranga and Rotorua.

The final decision will be made as part of deliberations on the Annual Plan in June.

ENDS

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