A majority of Council members have voted to remove the begging and rough sleeping provisions from the street use bylaw, and to support more positive actions and practical solutions to address begging and rough sleeping issues in Tauranga. The changes to the bylaw will take effect from 6 March 2020.
In November 2019, Councillors voted to consult with the community on removing the begging and rough sleeping provisions, which had been added to the Street Use and Public Places Bylaw in an earlier review. This is because councillors questioned whether a bylaw is the most appropriate way of addressing perceived problems relating to begging and rough sleeping in Tauranga. The bylaw’s possible implications under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, and whether the bylaw would be defensible in Court, were another reason for this review.
Yesterday Council voted 6 to 4 to remove the begging and rough sleeping provisions from the bylaw – supporting a strategic, community approach to address the root causes of the problem, rather than a regulatory one.
Speaking after the meeting, Mayor Tenby Powell noted that some residents and businesses, in Greerton in particular, went through a rough time a few years ago where they were facing serious anti-social behaviour in their shopping area, including intimidation and aggression.
“That type of behaviour is not acceptable in Tauranga and we want our retailers and shoppers to feel safe. This was one of the reasons the previous Council introduced the begging and rough sleeping provisions in the bylaw”, Mayor Powell said.
“But most councillors believe there’s a better way to address these issues. In part, that’s because Police aren’t mandated to enforce the bylaw, and council staff don’t have the legal powers or training to handle anti-social behaviour.”
“Most importantly though, begging and rough sleeping require more than a tactical, regulatory fix. They need a long-term strategic approach, and collaborative action by organisations across the city and the region, with central Government support.”
Supporting practical, positive action
A resolution adopted yesterday directs staff to investigate ways to support practical action, by looking into options to resource:
- the agencies in Tauranga working with people experiencing homelessness, in alignment with the Western Bay of Plenty Homelessness Strategy;
- more bylaw officers to enforce the Street Use and Public Places Bylaw, and
- a potential council-funded street ambassador function, to deal with anti-social behaviour and bring a sense of safety and peace of mind back to retailers and shoppers.
Council will consider funding for these potential actions through the 2020/21 Annual Plan prioritisation process starting next week.
Since the initial review of the bylaw began in November 2017, work to support those experiencing homelessness in Tauranga has made considerable progress. Active organisations include the People’s Project, which has housed 55 long-term rough sleepers between June 2018 and January 2020; Tauranga Housing Community Trust and Takitimu House (men’s shelter), which have together housed a total of 25 long-term rough sleepers over this period; and Awhina House (women’s shelter), which opened in April 2019.
“Some of this work started around the same time the bylaw came into effect, and what people could perceive as the success of the bylaw over the past year should actually be attributed to the achievements of these organisations,” Tenby said.
“We will now look to prioritise support for these efforts, while lobbying central Government agencies with responsibilities in this area to step up to the plate and address the underlying problems of homelessness and poverty in Tauranga.”
Work is in progress on the development of the western Bay of Plenty homelessness strategy and action plan, in collaboration with sub-regional providers, local government, central Government and philanthropic funders. Tauranga Mayor Tenby Powell and Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber will drive the implementation of the strategy and action plan through the Mayoral Taskforce on homelessness.