Leading the strategic way
By Chris Marshall
He may be running for mayor, but Kevin Taylor has had to limit his movement for a week or so – due to a cellulitis infection in his leg.
But for the emergency department staff at Taupō Hospital, he was a hair’s breadth from being sent to Rotorua.
“I cannot speak more highly of the team up there. They're just amazing.”
Having been a councillor for two terms, he is finding interesting the promises from some candidates.
“I know full well that they can't. They will realise that when they get in the door… which is unfortunate for the voting public because expectations get raised which can’t be delivered on.”
Integrity and honesty are important because of his long held Christian faith and many years in the Police.
“Not only I won't, but I can't promise something we cannot deliver.”
One thing he feels the council has delivered on so far is Local Water Done Well.
“We wouldn't have been able to make the decision we did, but for many years of prudent management, wise decisions and investment. So, when people say the council doesn't do this or that, I don't agree. Many other councils… were completely up against the wall.”
Three Waters never really went away, he says. Instead of central payment and assumption for all debt, councils now must manage these themselves with oversight from government agencies.
“People might think we've got our own waters. Well, not really.”
The cost of maintaining full balance sheet separation would be huge, he says.
He agrees housing is a perennial issue, but the council’s recent agreement with a consortium to develop the East Urban Lands, while retaining ownership of the land to control prices, lines up with Minister for Housing Chris Bishop’s call for councils to facilitate housing.
“A significant portion will be affordable housing... And I'm keen to see that grow. We're already doing it, been working on it for a number of years. You should see the first bricks and mortar take shape over the next 12 months.”
Debate around the Joint Management Agreement with the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board highlights the danger of discerning falsehood from reality, he says.
“The JMA will be reviewed and looked at by the next council… there are mandatory matters in there over which we have no say. They will happen. They are not RMA related. They are Upper Rivers legislation related. The RMA matters reflect what we're currently doing... It's just unfortunate that it's been characterised as something it’s not.”
On the Māori Wards referendum, Taylor says he finds it ironic that for central government the issue was settled in 1867 with the creation of representative Māori seats.
“And here we are, 158 years later, still anguishing over that representation at local government level… nobody has any more votes than anyone else… If Māori wards stay, it will only be elected members around the table. If wards go, same applies.”
Popular ideas like rates capping, had to be divorced from slogans and viewed in terms of a council’s increase compared to any figure set.
“I've looked at the New South Wales and Victorian model… it wouldn't affect our vote because we come in under what their cap was.”
“I'm in favour of a rates cap, but it's a ‘be careful what you wish for’… Earlier this year, the Commerce Commission approved lines companies increasing their capital charges to invest in national grid infrastructure. You can't keep promising people lower this and lower that.”
Most submissions on the Long-Term Plan said follow the plan or do more, Taylor said.
“Most of that cost is to do with waters infrastructure. If you say we're going to pin this to inflation, we're going to reduce rates… If it's already tied to something we are mandated to deliver, the Commerce Commission will fly in in a nanosecond and go, ‘no, you won't.’”
He says there are major issues ahead for the viability of some councils including RMA reform, changes to building consents, district plans being regionalised, pressure to create multi-council water organisations and the Prime Minister musing about the need for regional councils: “If you remove all these from what is currently a district council, there is not enough left for many in the country to even exist.”
“You need strategic thinkers around the table. That's why I put my hand up for mayor… I'm confident I can lead council in a direction that doesn't see us become irrelevant in the whole landscape of local government three years from now…
“If you went back 50 years and asked what would Taupo look like? No one would have foreseen what it is now. Take a snapshot of where we are now and go forward 50 years – we need to position ourselves for whatever entity governs this area so that it works well for the next generation.”