{"id":56628,"date":"2025-10-02T16:58:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/56628\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T16:58:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:58:19","slug":"sunlive-council-chair-steps-down-after-12-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/56628\/","title":{"rendered":"SunLive – Council chair steps down after 12 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Regional council functions need to continue despite MP \u201cpontifications\u201d that the councils will \u201cpass their use-by date\u201d, the outgoing Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman says.<\/p>\n

Doug Leeder said he was not too worried about what form the councils take in future, but their functions need to be delivered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose land, water and air attributes that we\u2019re [regional council] supposed to monitor, someone needs to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

One option was unitary councils, which cover both regional<\/a> and city or district council functions, he said.<\/p>\n

Changes to councils were inevitable, Leeder told Local Democracy Reporting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter which government\u2019s in power, because I\u2019m firmly of the view that local government across the whole local government sector does need revisiting in the interests of effectiveness and efficiency on behalf of ratepayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The inevitable change was one of the reasons Leeder decided to stand down<\/a>, after serving as chairman since he was first elected to the council 12 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably time to pass the baton to someone else who can chart them through the reorganisation that is going to occur.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and MP Shane Jones have questioned the role of regional councils<\/a> in future amid Resource Management Act reforms.<\/p>\n

\"Bay

\nBay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder at his last council meeting. Photo \/ Alisha Evans<\/p>\n

Leeder joined the council in 2013 after 12 years as a councillor on the \u014cp\u014dtiki District Council and 20 years in corporate governance in the dairy industry.<\/p>\n

Starting his career in the police force, Leeder has held governance roles across many sectors. He is a director of the Port of Tauranga and a M\u0101ori Land Court independent committee chairman.<\/p>\n

He also runs a dairy farm in Waiotahe.<\/p>\n

Leeder said the next chairperson did not need to have been a regional councillor in the past, but it should go to the best person for the job.<\/p>\n

He would not be drawn on who out of the 47 candidates running for regional council seats would make a good chairperson. This was for those elected to the council to decide, he said.<\/p>\n

Unlike in city or district council elections, where the voters choose the mayor, each new cohort of regional councillors elects their chair.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his time as chairman, Leeder said the councillors and staff were great to work with, collegial and professional.<\/p>\n

\"Bay

\nBay of Plenty Regional Council put $15 million towards the University of Waikato Tauranga campus. Photo \/ Alex Cairns<\/p>\n

A project he was proud of was the $15 million the council put toward the University of Waikato Tauranga<\/a> campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s bearing fruit now in terms of fulltime student equivalents that they have there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another is the $5m the regional council put towards developing the Tauranga Marine Precinct, which was managed by Tauranga City Council<\/a> until the facility\u2019s controversial sale to a private developer in April.<\/p>\n

It was an asset Tauranga would continue to benefit from through economic activity, he said.<\/p>\n

The Kaituna River rediversion<\/a> and Maket\u016b Estuary enhancement project was a \u201cgreat success\u201d and the right thing to do, Leeder said.<\/p>\n

When first elected the council set a strategy that its investment arm Quayside Holdings would be an \u201cintergenerational endowment fund\u201d for the Bay of Plenty ratepayers, he said.<\/p>\n

\"Quayside

\nQuayside Holdings held a 54% stake in the Port of Tauranga for years, but the council decided to sell this down. <\/p>\n

The growth of that fund was notable, and the council need to work hard to keep it an intergenerational fund, he said.<\/p>\n

Quayside Holdings had a 54% shareholding in the Port of Tauranga but last year the council agreed to a managed sell-down <\/a>to a minimum of 28%.<\/p>\n

This was to diversify the fund and reduce the risk of the investment portfolio.<\/p>\n

The council used dividends from Quayside to subsidise rates.<\/p>\n

Leeder said those dividends could be used for whatever the council wanted, but the proceeds should be used for the best interests of ratepayers.<\/p>\n

Leeder had mixed emotions about finishing because he had an \u201cintimate knowledge\u201d of the council, its objectives and how to serve the public, which was the enjoyable part of the job, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in governance for a long time, and it\u2019s been really rewarding. I hope I\u2019ve added value, both in the commercial field, which I came from and in local government.\u201d<\/p>\n

He did not have plans for his time in retirement other than waking up each morning and deciding what to do for the day.<\/p>\n

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.<\/p>\n

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