Welcome to Jim McKinlay’s campaign site
Seeking election to the Matua/Otumoetai Ward Tauranga City Council
Welcome to a new chapter for Tauranga – a city of potential and progress.
As a dedicated community member, I am excited to announce my candidacy for local council. Our city's future hinges on leadership that collaborates, promotes efficient governance and innovates for the good of all.
I invite you to join me on this journey. To learn more about my background and how we can work together to write the next inspiring chapter for Tauranga, I encourage you to read on.
www.MckinlayJim.com
Authorised by Jim McKinlay
JimMckinlay900@gmail.com
021417426
About Jim McKinlay
As a dedicated member of the Matua community, I bring four decades of diverse professional experience to the table, along with a deep-rooted commitment to our city's growth and prosperity.
After earning a BSc in mathematics from Victoria and an MBA from Auckland University, I embarked on a career that spanned various leadership and governance roles. I have held General Management roles at AMP, National Provident Fund and Tower Corporation and directorships with AMP Financial Corporation, New Zealand Futures Exchange and the Loaded Hog Group. I was also the inaugural Chair of the Park Royal Hotel, Wellington.
My consulting experience includes contributing to the landmark Tainui Raupatu Settlement for the Crown, demonstrating my capacity to navigate complex negotiations and foster collaborative solutions. With two decades at Bayleys in Commercial and Industrial Sales, I've worked hand-in-hand with Councils, developers, and investors, orchestrating major projects like the Bethlehem Town Centre sale that have contributed to our region's economic health.
On a personal note, my wife Sue and I cherish our life in Matua, where we frequently host our three children and their families and enjoy the excitement of eight active grandchildren. My commitment to family is matched by my dedication to staying active and engaged in the community, whether through fitness pursuits like gym and biking, or time on the water sailing, when opportunities arise. We keep a sailing dingy at Pilot Bay for the grandchildren which provides a lot of entertainment.
I am seeking election to the Matua Otumoetai Ward, Tauranga City Council because I believe in responsive, responsible leadership that listens and acts with integrity. My goal is to leverage my financial experience, strategic thinking, and passion for our community to enhance Tauranga’s standing as a premier place to live, work, and raise a family. Together, we can chart a course for a prosperous future that honors our shared values and unique spirit.
Think Big Projects
The History
The history of the last three councils is a very mixed bag. The Peter Winder Report is a damning indictment on the behaviour of the Councilors prior to them being sacked.
The Commissioners, on the other hand, have worked hand in glove, at great speed, on the City Centre projects. There has been a spending boom.
At the time of consultation on the City Centre Project the Commissioners indicated that more than half the costs would be met from sources other that ratepayers, such as selling off water assets. This has not turned out to be the case and the vast majority of cost will have to be met by ratepayers. This means that it is essential that there is tight management on these projects, which if elected, I will drive to ensure is the case.
One additional concern I have is that there has been insufficient consultation on the spaces between the major buildings in the Civic Centre with the result that they will be over-designed and over-built. The Civic Square, Masonic Park and area beyond the rail line should, in my view, be as open and multi-use as possible to allow for all sorts of artistic, cultural, sporting and entertainment events.
Think Big Projects
Project Management
Six years ago, Council signed a Partnering Agreement with Willis Bond. This gave Willis Bond exclusive development rights to all City Centre development projects on the basis of open book, non-competitive pricing, with a guaranteed margin to Willis Bond. The works are not required to be put out to competitive tender. The logic was that it was expected to speed up the development cycle.
The assumption in the Partnering Agreement was that Council would be taking independent advise on the "open book" costings of projects, in order to protect rate payers. Council should have appointed a senior Independent Project Manager, supported by an independent Quantity Surveyor; who interfaces with the developer.
Instead the Commissioners have appointed four expensive external appointees to a provide a "Governance Board." That will will not protect rate payers. It is the Elected Members job to provide governance and a high level independent Project Manger should report directly to them. The "Governance Board" is just an expensive and unnecessary structure introduced by the Commissioners because they don't trust the democratic process.
Once a new Council is in place, the "Governance Board" needs to manage the transfer the projects to independent Project Managers, and step down.
Council has got Big
Since the Commissioners have taken over:
Staff numbers have increased by 53%.
Consultant costs have escalated by 166% Staff accommodation costs have increased by 100%
Net Debt has increased by 66%
Residential Rates have increased by 45%
Commercial/Industrial rates have increased by 114%
Extensive resources in staff and consultants time have been applied to a large range of projects, including the Stadium and Accessible Communities. The question is whether, or not, that effort has been spent in the right direction.
Capital Losses taken to account include:
Harrington Street Car Park $20.5m
Bella Vista $10,2m
Cayman Apartments $21.0m
Pacific Apartments $29.4m
$81.1m
NB. Some of these related to the period before the Commissioners, and Harrington is being litigated.
Cycleways
The "Accessible Otumoetai" Scheme is still on the Commissioners' approved list, and now in the ten year plan awaiting government partial funding approval.
Strangely, the benefit/cost ratio doesn't stack up unless we loose a traffic lane over Chapel Street Bridge. Points are tripled if you remove a so called impediment to cycling. The whole scheme needs to go back for proper consultation, exploring alternatives. My view is that money should be allocated to cycleways where there is already a demand from existing ratepaying cyclists. The Mount Maunganui boardwalk, which has been a great success.
If elected, I will be advocating for a 3m wide, off-road cycleway, linking Ferguson Park with the Civic Centre. Virtually entirely off road, the path would involve using Transit land under the motorway, a tack-on path to the Marsh Street rail bridge, and then looping under the bridge to connect to Dive Crescent and the waterfront. The rest of the works are improvements to existing pathways.
An added benefit is that it makes an easy link to the Harbour Bridge Path.
I'm told that the Woods Road to Otumoetai Road section is in early design phase with some complications. The work needs to continue to Chapel Street Bridge and beyond. The Chapel Street Bridge path is 2.2 metres wide, and need not be an immediate target for improvement.
The cost would be a small fraction of the $95m budget of the current plan. This will be safer, more fun, and I expect will get much greater usage.
Equity Issues
Matua Otumoetai Ratepayers contribute circa $25m per year in rates. While we all benefit from works that have a common good, there would seems to be a disproportional shortfall of investment and maintenance in our ward.
In many of the younger suburbs, community facilities, particularly sporting facilities, have been paid for by Council, and continue to be owned and maintained by Council.
Most of these type of facilities in our ward have devolved to clubs. The improvements and responsibility for maintenance are with the Clubs, along with land lease payments to Council.
Council needs to make sure that ground leases are equitable as compared to other Council owned facilities. Council also needs to agree an annual, and long-term, maintenance and upgrade schedule, and funding share, with each of the wonderful, and long established, sports clubs in our ward.
I do applaud the work that is coming along for art works along the waterfront, recognising the unique historical and cultural significance of the area, and hope that Council contributes appropriately.
Otumoetai Pool
We need to find a way to keep this pool going, for as long as possible. But the more I learn about it, the harder it gets.
There are absolutely no grounds that can be used for picnics and family groups. It is only ever a short stay pool. Memorial Aquatic Centre will be very attractive to family groups. It is too small and constrained for school swimming sports events. The major revenue source is a private (and very good) swim school, which can not be expected to guarantee long term tenure. The numbers of regular pre-work users will likely reduce when Memorial comes on line.
It was designed and built in 1969 as a school pool when the school was a lot smaller. It passed to the City when it became too expensive for the school(s) to maintain and operate. Three to four school classes still use the pool every school day and it is important to keep that going.
It will require considerable investment in the pipes, and and stabilization of the foundations; and the look and feel of the surrounds, to ensure that it has at least 5 years life. The capital needs to be found from savings in other projects in the ten year plan.
Otumoetai Pa
The remarkable history of Otumoetai Pa needs to be told more widely.
Occupied from the 1600's, historian Debbie McCauley describes it as Tauranga's Historical Capital
Heavily modified to enhance its natural defensive topography; sitting above the best pipi grounds, and surrounded by rich soils, it sustained a large population for hundreds of years
During the musket wars, Ngaiterangi saw off several huge assaults, and the Pa was never taken. The fall only came following Gate Pa, and Te Rangi, and the land confiscations.
Future Growth
In 2000 Smart Growth was formed as an alliance between Tauranga City, Western Bays and Regional Council to plan the next 30 years of growth. It identified Papamoa, Omokoroa and The Lakes as future growth areas for residential development. They were all greenfield, and at the time, it seemed to some to be a bit fanciful. In some cases, even the Councils didn’t really buy into it and put in water services for half the projected growth. 24 years later and the growth areas are all full.
Subsequently, no new substantial growth sites have been rezoned by Council. Any new residential sub-divisions have been small private plan changes and not centrally planned. It has not been solely the Council's fault. The last two Governments have made development harder.
Smart Growth is now a collaboration between the three councils, plus Iwi, Port of Tauranga, Priority One, KiwiRail, NZTA, and Government. Government is demanding a 30-year pipe line for growth, and so the pressure is on Smart Growth to do better.
Congestion
The transport planners conclude that there is not yet the need for a second Turret Road Bridge, although most commuters would say differently. Instead, the Commissioners have promoted a "short-to-medium term solution" of adding a third lane to the bridge to be dedicated to buses and possibly high occupancy vehicles. In a short sighted move, the Commissioners have advanced that project for fast tracking.
There is a provision in the Long-Term Plan for the "Welcome Bay, Turret Road 15th Avenue Corridor" for $142m of capital works, although this apparently does not include a new bridge.
As a comparison, the recently built bridge over the Manawatu River, plus approaches, cost $67m. A second Turret Road bridge could presumably be built for $40m. Plans have already been done and consultants paid for!
Four lanes from 15th Ave to Hairini will make a major change to people's lives, gaining time and reducing congestions and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas reductions. There is already a cycleway in place and bus lanes would not be needed if traffic flows well.
The building of a second bridge could be completed nearly entirely off-road and would cause no consequential delays to commuters. The works for the third lane will be highly disruptive to traffic and could involve total closure for a period.
There is ample capital expenditure budget to fix this and other congestion hot spots, it just needs to be directed to the right projects.
Cameron Road Stage 2
The budget for Cameron Road Stage 2 is $220m: although it went up by $23m last month when the Commissioners approved a host of temporary traffic interventions outside the project work area, to assist with the congestion that the project works are expected to cause.
The works are intended to extend the look and feel of Cameron Stage One, through to Greerton. The project has not yet got the partial government funding required.
My View is that this project and the 15th to Welcome bay Corridor should be pushed out to 2027-2028 with consultants stood down or diverted to higher priority projects.
Turret Road second bridge needs to be completed before those projects are contemplated.
Cracker day at Fergy Park
Events
Coming soon
Posts
Coming soon