Latest news with #JenScoular
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Parking problems in The Mount: 'Nothing is off limits'
The main shopping street of the Mount. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod Ongoing parking issues in Mount Maunganui - including being completely full at peak times - had led Tauranga city council to try and find out-of-the-box solutions. The Bay of Plenty community is a national and international seaside resort for everyone from surfers to cruise ship visitors. Even on an overcast winter's morning The Mount was humming, cars circling to get a park as close to the beach, cafes, and mountain as possible. This might be part of the parking problem, said Tauranga City Council Deputy Mayor and local ward councillor Jen Scoular. "If you go to seaside resorts - which The Mount certainly is at quite a lot of the year - would you ever, outside New Zealand, expect to get a park right outside a café? No." Tauranga City Council Deputy Mayor and local ward councillor Jen Scoular at The Mount beachfront. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod Scoular arrived at The Mount on her bike to talk to RNZ, and says a willingness to walk for a few minutes is needed, as much as new parking solutions. Tauranga City Council parking strategy manager Reece Wilkinson said while parking at The Mount had been discussed before, it was time to start fresh. "We want to know what's working well, what's not, and what ideas you've got to make it work better. Whether it's tried and tested solutions or out-of-the-box ideas, nothing is off limits. "We're open to suggestions, from time limits to yellow line markings in tight streets, and anything else that springs to mind, as long as it's realistic," he said. Mount Business Association business improvement manager Harris Williams says any solution needed to be specific to The Mount. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod There was one suggestion locals RNZ spoke to clearly did not want though, and that was paid parking. Scoular said she was not personally a fan of that either. "When we say 'paid parking', are we actually making money out of it, because that means we have to employ more people to manage paid parking, and to me that doesn't make sense." She said the council did not want parking to turn people off visiting - either because they could not find a park, or because they had to pay. She also said there probably was not going to be any solution that would solve the problem from 20 December to 20 January when visitors were at their peak. "If we can fix 11 months let's not make that very very prime time influence the rest of the time, because that might lead to things that stop people coming." Along the beachfront walkway, people gave RNZ several solutions, including building a parking building, time-limited parking, local ferries, and even pulling out grass and parks to turn them into parking spaces. A block over from the beach on the main shopping street, the Mount Business Association business improvement manager Harris Williams said any solution needed to be specific to The Mount. "If you said, 'well the CBD has paid parking so therefore by extension The Mount should be', I think that's probably not a wise approach. The Mount has unique challenges and benefits and is a completely different place." But he saw it as a great step that the council was talking to the community first, noting the businesses would have a range of opinions depending on their cliental and industry. Mike Clark, the owner of dessert bar Polar, was another voice against paid parking. "I think the issue is the turnover, I don't think the solution is paid parking, but we need more [parking]." He had some ideas on how to get more parking on the main street. "I think there are some small wins that they can do off the bat, and immediately it's turning all of the parallel parking into angled parking, you could easily get another 50 to 70 parks on the main street," he said. Robertson's Menswear is the oldest store on the main street, having been there for 47 years. Owner Jamie Robertson also had some ideas for the council. "Put a road through the back of Coronation Park to open it up and put carparking through the back of there because it's just a big open area, and you could put the buses and everything through the back there for the cruise ships." The council said it wanted to make sure everyone who wants to "chill at the beach or make the most of the Mount vibes" could do so year-round, and a parking management plan would help achieve that goal. Feedback on parking in Mount Maunganui was welcome until 25 July. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
06-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Making Hopukiore Safer And More Accessible For All
Press Release – Tauranga City Council A missing section of the pathway on the Pacific Avenue side of Hopukiore will be constructed, creating a fully connected loop around the base of the reserve. In addition, the steep and narrow sections of the pathway along Maunganui Road will be upgraded … Work will soon begin at Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve to improve safety and accessibility and protect its cultural significance, with upgrades planned for the perimeter pathway and historic caves starting this week. A missing section of the pathway on the Pacific Avenue side of Hopukiore will be constructed, creating a fully connected loop around the base of the reserve. In addition, the steep and narrow sections of the pathway along Maunganui Road will be upgraded with a timber boardwalk. These upgrades will improve accessibility, create a safe link between the roads, and ensure pedestrians are protected from traffic. The new pathway along Pacific Avenue will result in the loss of two car parks, leaving 10 car parks remaining on that side of the reserve. Some space from the removed car parks is expected to remain available for motorcycle parking. As part of the works, barriers will be installed to protect the Hopukiore caves, helping preserve their archaeological and cultural significance and keep everyone safe. During the works, which are expected to be completed in July, pedestrian detours will be in place along the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue and Maunganui Road, with pedestrians directed to use the footpath on the opposite side of each road. Stop/go traffic management will be in place at times on Pacific Avenue and May Street to allow for the safe movement of materials and construction vehicles. The 12 car parks on the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue will be closed while works are underway. While the reserve will remain open, access to the summit track from the Maunganui Road side will be temporarily closed during the works. 'Hopukiore is a special part of Mount Maunganui and is a popular space for our community to connect, exercise and play,' says Deputy Mayor of Tauranga and Mauao/Mount Maunganui Ward Councillor Jen Scoular. 'These upgrades will ensure everyone in our community can move safely around the reserve and the historic caves are preserved for everyone to appreciate.' 'The wider Mount North area already offers several accessible facilities, including an accessible changing facility near the playground, and adaptive equipment like Te Kaiwhakatere – TrailRider all-terrain wheelchair and beach wheelchairs, both of which can be booked online. Beach access mats are also available at key points along Marine Parade. The pathway upgrades, together with these facilities, will make it easier for more people to access and enjoy the area.' The improvements are part of a broader project to enhance the reserve, which includes the Hopukiore play area upgrade. In December 2024, Council launched the 'Love, Wish, Wonder' campaign to gather community input on the future of the popular play space. The feedback highlighted a wide range of imaginative ideas – from obstacle courses and sand pits to mouse wheels and musical features. Concepts for the play space are currently being designed, shaped by community feedback, iwi and hapū values, and technical and site-specific considerations. They will be shared later in the year for further community input. A summary of the feedback can be viewed at
Scoop
06-06-2025
- Scoop
Making Hopukiore Safer And More Accessible For All
Work will soon begin at Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve to improve safety and accessibility and protect its cultural significance, with upgrades planned for the perimeter pathway and historic caves starting this week. A missing section of the pathway on the Pacific Avenue side of Hopukiore will be constructed, creating a fully connected loop around the base of the reserve. In addition, the steep and narrow sections of the pathway along Maunganui Road will be upgraded with a timber boardwalk. These upgrades will improve accessibility, create a safe link between the roads, and ensure pedestrians are protected from traffic. The new pathway along Pacific Avenue will result in the loss of two car parks, leaving 10 car parks remaining on that side of the reserve. Some space from the removed car parks is expected to remain available for motorcycle parking. As part of the works, barriers will be installed to protect the Hopukiore caves, helping preserve their archaeological and cultural significance and keep everyone safe. During the works, which are expected to be completed in July, pedestrian detours will be in place along the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue and Maunganui Road, with pedestrians directed to use the footpath on the opposite side of each road. Stop/go traffic management will be in place at times on Pacific Avenue and May Street to allow for the safe movement of materials and construction vehicles. The 12 car parks on the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue will be closed while works are underway. While the reserve will remain open, access to the summit track from the Maunganui Road side will be temporarily closed during the works. 'Hopukiore is a special part of Mount Maunganui and is a popular space for our community to connect, exercise and play,' says Deputy Mayor of Tauranga and Mauao/Mount Maunganui Ward Councillor Jen Scoular. 'These upgrades will ensure everyone in our community can move safely around the reserve and the historic caves are preserved for everyone to appreciate.' 'The wider Mount North area already offers several accessible facilities, including an accessible changing facility near the playground, and adaptive equipment like Te Kaiwhakatere – TrailRider all-terrain wheelchair and beach wheelchairs, both of which can be booked online. Beach access mats are also available at key points along Marine Parade. The pathway upgrades, together with these facilities, will make it easier for more people to access and enjoy the area." The improvements are part of a broader project to enhance the reserve, which includes the Hopukiore play area upgrade. In December 2024, Council launched the 'Love, Wish, Wonder' campaign to gather community input on the future of the popular play space. The feedback highlighted a wide range of imaginative ideas – from obstacle courses and sand pits to mouse wheels and musical features. Concepts for the play space are currently being designed, shaped by community feedback, iwi and hapū values, and technical and site-specific considerations. They will be shared later in the year for further community input. A summary of the feedback can be viewed at For more information on the pathway upgrade and cave protection works, visit
Scoop
06-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tauranga City Council Improves Consenting Performance With More Improvement To Come
Press Release – Tauranga City Council A report presented at the City Delivery Committee meeting on Wednesday highlighted efficiency gains in processing both building and resource consents on application volumes that were slightly lower than the year prior. Tauranga City Council has made good progress in improving its consenting performance for the 2024/25 financial year, but acknowledges there is still room for improvement. Despite economic challenges throughout the country, application volumes overall have remained steady, which is a positive sign of continued growth in Tauranga. A report presented at the City Delivery Committee meeting on Wednesday highlighted efficiency gains in processing both building and resource consents on application volumes that were slightly lower than the year prior. Tauranga City Council City Delivery Committee Chair and Deputy Mayor, Jen Scoular acknowledged the progress made, while also noting the need to keep making improvements. 'The team have worked hard to refine processes, and it's good to see tangible results. Going forward we have asked the team to keep a focus on making consenting faster and more efficient for our community. 'Council gave staff a steer to set a plan that engages with the construction sector, to better understand the blockages and issues. Staff were also asked to look at comparison times with other councils to help define what good looks like.' Staff confirmed they are committed to refining the Building Consent processes further, and continue to enhance its systems, including piloting a new 'reference consent' system where the team can pre-approve simple repeat buildings. This is expected to increase the speed of consenting for these buildings, but also free up staff time to speed up other more complex applications. Tauranga City Council staff are gearing up for the next IANZ audit in September 2025 after achieving its best Building Control Authority audit result in over a decade in 2023. Jen emphasised the importance of adapting to future legislative changes and noted that while council is moving in the right direction, consents will remain an area of focus. 'Upcoming reforms in the Building Act and Resource Management Act will bring further changes to how consents are processed. Changes being proposed by Central Government will take away some of the risk adversity we are seeing, as a number of activities will no longer need consent.' Building Consents: 1,471 applications received year-to-date, showing a slight decline compared to previous years. Compliance with the 20-day statutory timeframe has improved to 82%, up from 75% in 2023/24 and significantly higher than the low of 35% in April 2022. Median processing time has dropped to 14 days, matching national benchmarks. Reliance on external contractors has reduced from 60% to just 18%, signalling strong internal capability growth. Inspection wait-times remain under two days, with 97% of Code Compliance Certificates issued on time. Resource Consents: Application volumes remain stable, with a 22% increase in subdivision consents suggesting future development opportunities. On-time decision-making has increased to 96% compliance year-to-date, a significant improvement from 38% in July 2022. The average processing time is 56 working days, with 31 days typically spent on hold. External consultant use has decreased due to strengthened in-house expertise.
Scoop
06-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tauranga City Council Improves Consenting Performance With More Improvement To Come
Tauranga City Council has made good progress in improving its consenting performance for the 2024/25 financial year, but acknowledges there is still room for improvement. Despite economic challenges throughout the country, application volumes overall have remained steady, which is a positive sign of continued growth in Tauranga. A report presented at the City Delivery Committee meeting on Wednesday highlighted efficiency gains in processing both building and resource consents on application volumes that were slightly lower than the year prior. Tauranga City Council City Delivery Committee Chair and Deputy Mayor, Jen Scoular acknowledged the progress made, while also noting the need to keep making improvements. 'The team have worked hard to refine processes, and it's good to see tangible results. Going forward we have asked the team to keep a focus on making consenting faster and more efficient for our community. 'Council gave staff a steer to set a plan that engages with the construction sector, to better understand the blockages and issues. Staff were also asked to look at comparison times with other councils to help define what good looks like.' Staff confirmed they are committed to refining the Building Consent processes further, and continue to enhance its systems, including piloting a new 'reference consent' system where the team can pre-approve simple repeat buildings. This is expected to increase the speed of consenting for these buildings, but also free up staff time to speed up other more complex applications. Tauranga City Council staff are gearing up for the next IANZ audit in September 2025 after achieving its best Building Control Authority audit result in over a decade in 2023. Jen emphasised the importance of adapting to future legislative changes and noted that while council is moving in the right direction, consents will remain an area of focus. 'Upcoming reforms in the Building Act and Resource Management Act will bring further changes to how consents are processed. Changes being proposed by Central Government will take away some of the risk adversity we are seeing, as a number of activities will no longer need consent.' Building Consents: 1,471 applications received year-to-date, showing a slight decline compared to previous years. Compliance with the 20-day statutory timeframe has improved to 82%, up from 75% in 2023/24 and significantly higher than the low of 35% in April 2022. Median processing time has dropped to 14 days, matching national benchmarks. Reliance on external contractors has reduced from 60% to just 18%, signalling strong internal capability growth. Inspection wait-times remain under two days, with 97% of Code Compliance Certificates issued on time. Resource Consents: Application volumes remain stable, with a 22% increase in subdivision consents suggesting future development opportunities. On-time decision-making has increased to 96% compliance year-to-date, a significant improvement from 38% in July 2022. The average processing time is 56 working days, with 31 days typically spent on hold. External consultant use has decreased due to strengthened in-house expertise.
