The Western Bay of Plenty's new mayor James Denyer says he has the 'agility” to tackle all the changes that will happen in local government over the next three years.

The 46-year-old was elected to mayor in the October 8 local government election, after serving as a Katikati-Waihi Beach councillor in the previous triennium.
When asked what skills he would bring to role, Denyer replied: he brought financial skills from his previous career, is 'hardworking” and 'out there in the community a lot”.
'I've got a younger perspective and there's a lot of change happening in local government at the moment, and that needs a certain agility to navigate.”

Those changes include the contentious Three Waters reform, repealing the Resource Management Act and the Future for Local Government review, which is due to be released on October 28.
Denyer says the review, that is looking at how local democracy and governance needs to evolve over the next 30 years, could have 'far reaching impacts” and is 'eagerly awaiting” to see what is in there.

When asked if it could completely change the way local government works, he replied: 'It could, but I suspect it won't happen overnight.”

The last local government review in 1989 saw 850 local bodies amalgamate into 86 local authorities.

Back then it was proposed that the local bodies for Mount Maunganui, Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty District all amalgamate, but the Western Bay chose to stay separate to protect the rural nature of the area.

When asked his thoughts on amalgamating with Tauranga he says he has some 'serious concerns”, because Western Bay is a 'mostly rural” district and Tauranga has 'their own issues at the moment” which includes 'high debt”.

'How to represent the voice of that [district] within Tauranga, which has three times the population.”

'We could have a good look at it, but it's not one of my priorities.”

Denyer has lived in Katikati with his wife Victoria and their two children since 2009.
Although he is a Katikati resident, he 'wants to work for the whole district”.

'I'm here to represent them, to listen to them and to achieve their aspirations and goals.”
He says he is looking forward to working on the new Waihī Beach Library, the new Te Puke swimming pool and the continued development in Ōmokoroa.
'One thing I heard clearly during the campaign is people in Te Puke are fed up with the traffic situation there, and they want a solution for that. So, I want to see what is possible there.”
Denyer will govern 11 councillors with four of them being new to the council table.
The newcomers are Andy Wichers, Richard Crawford, Rodney Joyce and Tracey Coxhead.
They join current councillors John Scrimgeour, Grant Dally, Anne Henry, Allan Sole, Murray Grainger, Margaret Murray-Benge and Don Thwaites.
The new mayor says the initial period at council was 'very important to build the councillors as a team”.
'I do plan to be a collaborative leader and involve everyone and value everyone's opinion and get some exciting stuff done.”
Denyer and elected members will be sworn in at the inaugural meeting on Monday, November 7.

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