Mayor Greg Brownless was quoted as saying, “Change was needed, which required new leadership”. (https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/review-of-former-tauranga-city-co…).
And he’s right of course.
Tauranga is a truly spectacular city and attracts wonderful people who have a real love of the region. It is a strategically important city to New Zealand and it has outgrown a leadership style that lacks experience in strategy, finance and governance.
Tauranga Needs Better Leadership.
This new revelation, that the former CEO was computer illiterate, begs a question, “How is it acceptable for the existing councillors to have allowed this to continue and only now, that the reports are surfacing, we see them vocalizing a lack of confidence in their past Chief Executive”?
The standard you set as the Senior Leader in any environment is the standard by which that organization will perform – regardless of it being a corporation, a not-for-profit, a military unit or the City of Tauranga.
As your Mayor, I will not sit back and allow this lack of performance and service delivery to continue. It is wholly unacceptable and it needed addressing the moment it was discovered – not at the conclusion of a contractual review period.
The fact the existing councillors did nothing about it, until the past CEO’s contract came up for renewal, shows one very clear thing – a complete lack of effective leadership.
Why is it tolerable for the existing councillors to act as if they are in no way responsible for this? It is no different to Bella Vista, Hastings Rd, the Airport, Durham St, Kulum Park and the Phoenix debacles, with more project related problems yet to be announced in the media.
A dangerous culture seems to exist among some of the elected members who claim it is not their responsibility and, instead, they “blame Council staff”.
I want to be very clear on this point. Leaders don’t throw their staff under the bus. There are some very good, dedicated, people who work for the Tauranga City Council. They deserve better leadership – as does the City of Tauranga.
It’s time for sweeping change. Change that gives the people of Tauranga what they rightfully deserve . . . experienced and effective leadership – and respect. No Board of Directors would allow this level of negligence and underperformance to go unchallenged .
Tauranga residents deserve the RESPECT of their councillors to govern effectively! This level of leadership negligence is quite simply disrespectful and clearly demonstrates that some of the current elected members are completely out of their depth.
Tauranga deserves better. There is now no doubt in my mind that strong, strategic and experienced leadership is needed to fix this mess and plot a course for positive growth.
Tauranga deserves better and it needs better leadership.
It’s time . . .
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