Matt Cowley: Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive says it wants unity from victors in tomorrow's election

The Tauranga Business Chamber says it wants unity from those successful in tomorrow's election.  

A mayor and nine councillors will be elected for the first time since commissioners were introduced in 2021.  

Chamber Chief Executive Matt Cowley says so far turnout has been lower than in 2019.  

He told Jack Tame there needs to be collaboration. 

“Good indication is whether they can have good discussions in the council meeting rooms, but they can sit down and enjoy a working lunch in the breakout room in-between meetings.” 

The polls close at midday, with results expected around 3:30pm. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Jack Tea, and if you are listening from Todunger, you
have until midday tomorrow to get your vote in from
the local body election. Yes, you could say that we're
covering the two most keenly anticipated elections in the world
right now, the US and November and Todunger this weekend.
Chances are though, if you are listening from Todunger you
haven't voted yet because turnout was sitting at about twenty
three percent on Wednesday. This election, of course, is going

(00:24):
to decide who will be on Todunga's first democratically elected
council since the previous council was disbanded and replaced by commissioners.
Matt Carley is chief executive of the Todunger Business Chamber
and is with us this evening. Good evening, Jordan, Jack.
Why do you reckon? Turnout is so poor?

Speaker 2 (00:41):
A number of things and Mike Hoskins dead on right
this morning when he said we won't get over thirty
percent and local government needs a look acause it's not
working at the moment, but we've got new wards in place.
There's a bit of fatigue the postal services and working
until they try had a new initiative with putting bins

(01:02):
and shopping centers. The candidates lest it quite late. There's
a bit of apathy and also a bit of fatigue,
so there's a hot mix of issues there.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
What confidence do you have that the newly elected council
will avoid the pitfalls that tore the last council apart?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
It really depends on how well they get together. A
good indication is whether they can have fair well good
discussions in the council media room, but they can sit
down and enjoy a working lunch in the media room
and their lunch room breakout room in between meetings. If
that culture and communication isn't there, it will fall through again.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
And what are the major issues that the new council
will be dealing with?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Do you think they've got a big bow waves of
projects ahead of them. We don't need people with imaginations,
We just need people with solutions for financing and funding
and prioritizing and obviously engaging with those communities. But transport,
then regulatory burdens and CBD projects, yeah, than main ones.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
How do most people that you've spoken to in totaling
I feel about the job that Antollie and the other
commissioners did.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Predominantly. Our audience as we've surveyed as roughly between sixty
and seventy percent, have been quite supportive of where their
direction is going. I think they're quite open to new candidates,
for getting a new pair of eyes to look over
the numbers and care review some of their work. But overall, yeah,
the commissioners have done okay, and maybe a bit of

(02:35):
balance in the future between skills and elected officials is
the way to go.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah, that's interesting. So who do you think is going
to be the next mayor?

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Who knows, I can tell you tomorrow afternoon, but I'd
say there's our members show is sort of their top
four where Mahi, Greg Brown, Maas Rhea, and Tina Salisbury,
so it'll probably be one of those.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, and it's STV of course A so yeah, thanks
could get interesting once you have all of those votes
tallied up.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yes, split votes and other things, but at least with
STV that avoids split voting that it really gives priority.
So I think it'll be interesting in the wider mix.
The mayor is only one vote and we've got a
new ward system, so I think that'll be interesting with
how those ward councilors go. Are there only champions for
the award or are they keen to make big decisions
across the whole city.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yeah, very good, Thanks Matt, Good luck for the next
twenty four hours or so. That is the chief executive
of Todunger's Business Chamber. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays,
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