The Tauranga City Council is going to make sure its new policy on commercial activities is workable before taking it out for public consultation.
The draft policy was approved by the council's strategy and policy committee this week, but it won't come into effect as a bylaw until it's been tested.

Council subsidies for some businesses, such as Baywave, are causing distress amongst some private business operators.

As the city's gym owners were the ones to raise the issue with the council, Mayor Stuart Crosby says their businesses will be used in the pilot model assessment.
They raised it out of concerns about competing against council subsidised businesses in the ten year plan submissions process last year.
Since then, the allegation that the council is subsidising gyms has spread wider, resulting in a closer look at a variety of council activities alleged to provide unfair competition to private sector businesses.
The city libraries' hire of DVDs was given as an example at the strategy and policy committee meeting, and Councillor Bill Faulkner took the opportunity to remind councillors the municipal library itself put six private lending libraries out of business when it was established.
In the aquatic network, the council also operates a cafe, vending machines, wellness services, and some retail sales. The racecourse and the historic village compete for hire as meetings and function venues. The council also collects rubbish in competition with private contractors.
Councillor Greg Brownless says it's time to have a look at both sides of the relationship, and whether Tauranga City Council is unfairly competing using rates to subsidise costs and services, also being provided by the private sector.
The pilot study will take place before the policy is released for public discussion.