'It's time for a change': Singer-songwriter Ria Hall to run for Tauranga Mayor

Ria Hall at the 2022 Apra Silver Scroll Awards. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

The singer-songwriter Ria Hall says "it's time for a change" as she puts her hat in the ring to be Tauranga Mayor.

The city will return to fully elected governance in July after being run by commissioners since 2020 due to infighting and dysfunction.

Those elected this year will serve for four years instead of three, before Tauranga rejoins the national three-year cycle in 2028.

Hall, who is born in Tauranga, told Morning Report that it was an exciting time.

"People are really galvanising and talking on the ground and there's lots of murmurs.

"It's cool for our city and it's cool for people to start thinking about what Tauranga could look like."

Residents were ready to move on from having commissioners in place, she said.

Hall said if she was elected, she would bring her energy to the role and focus on infrastructure, transport, environment and creating a more connected, cohesive society.

"Our infrastructure hasn't been able to keep up with the inevitable increase in population in size.

"Our roads are pretty hard to get around, accessibility's a biggie."

The musician said she loved the city and coincidentally started studying her masters of regional development through Auckland University this year.

She hoped there would be a big pool of people who put their hand up for the job.

"In the past that hasn't so much been the case, it's kind of been status quo operations so this is, again, a super exciting time.

"Competition is healthy. I think it's a good thing and it's good for our democracy because it means that maybe voices will come through that weren't necessarily heard before."

Former deputy mayor Tina Salisbury has also announced her bid to run for mayor.

Nominations for the mayor and and nine local councillors opened at the end of last month and will close on 24 May.