An agenda item for a council meeting I attended in August this year was about the proposed redevelopment of the Mount Hot Pools by Tauranga City Aquatics Ltd (TCAL). This included a presentation by first-term Cr Catherine Stewart in support of her second-attempt notice of motion to bring these expansionist plans to a halt.

At the time of this meeting my blogging ambitions were still only an idea in the making. Therefore, I was there just to catch up with the make up of the new council and to learn how councillors were behaving these days, both the old and the new.

I was more than a little surprised, and suitably impressed, when Cr Stewart not only stood to make her case, but also opted to leave her place at the table and take a more commanding, and demanding, position behind a lectern facing councillors.

Mayor Stuart Crosby, chairing the meeting, summed up her action quite nicely when he quietly remarked, "You're going to eyeball the opposition, then!"

These days, Standing Orders permit councillors to remain seated while 'addressing the chair'. An innovative, sensible, more relaxed way of conducting council debate.

Even though it is old news, council's debate on the hot pools back then nevertheless now offers some balance to the projects present onslaught of Go-Go information on this proposed extravagant health spa project.

During her well-planned and competently delivered presentation Cr Stewart referred to the inappropriate commercial aspects of the development, particularly in respect to her concerns about council going into opposition against private business in the immediate area and throughout the city.

She also pointed out that the project called for inappropriate commercial development on conservation land and recreational reserve.

Of particular interest were her references to public opposition recorded back in May and December last year when the company provided feedback forms at the pool. She noted that of 340 responses in May, only 15 users fully supported the proposed changes.

"This project has been driven for more than three years by consultants and council staff. At no time have the majority of users or the community at large called for anything like what is now being proposed," she said.

"The entrance price has only just been increased from $5 to $6. Entrance prices in Hanmer Springs and the Polynesian Pools in Rotorua are to the order of $12 and $13 dollars. There is concern that this project will result in similar charges at the Mt Hot Pools."

Other matters raised by Cr Stewart centred on traffic and parking concerns, cluttering of the view, the filching of camping sites from the adjacent council owned motor camp and above all, the loss of green space at the base of the mountain.

r_curachAfter Cr Stewart's presentation, Cr Rick Curach was among the first to support her stance. "Nothing will match the beach and the mountain itself as tourist attractions. I certainly object to turning the hot pools into a health spa on the grounds that it will attract tourists. This is a commercial undertaking which will impact badly on local businesses," he added.

Cr Bill Grainger also wanted the project stopped. "This is one of those things we don't need. Do we want to turn this great outdoors area into a concrete jungle? We should put this off. I don't see it as being on top of our agenda."

On the question of fees, Cr Moultrie declared forcibly, "Council will decide what the fees are," without explaining who would be paying for the difference if the fees didn't cover the operational expenses.

Cr Moultrie, along with Crs Bill Faulkner, Mike Baker, David Stewart and Mayor Stuart Crosby, also argued that council should give the pool company the opportunity to come back with new designs and more information, including feedback from the public, which the company had said they would provide in February next year.

Tauranga City Aquatics' present information campaign is part of that undertaking. The company is a council owned and controlled organisation. Deputy Mayor Stewart said, "We are here to move the city forward. The pools are tired and need work done on them anyway. This new idea will be good for business. It has to be good for the town and it will become a major drawcard for overseas visitors."

m_guyCr Murray Guy applauded Cr Stewart's effort to urge caution about adopting this kind of project, adding, "If we were asked today to go ahead with Baywave, would it get your support? I don't think so. I also have a problem with some of the business activities we are getting into these days."

Mayor Crosby supported Cr David Stewart's call to "move the city forward. We can't just rely forever on a nice beach to bring the tourists in."

Cr Faulkner waxed lyrical about the project's benefits for ratepayers. "Who would benefit most from this? The ratepayers. We are stuck with a $1.5million bill for the pools network. This (redevelopment) will be a money-spinner. It has great potential to provide a return for ratepayers by offsetting the costs of the aquatics network."

Well, yes. The word "potential" is the one which requires careful business risk consideration. Many on this council seem quite willing to skip this part of the decision-making process.

s_crosbyIn the end it came down to the chairman's casting vote in favour of what had already been decided, namely to let the project progress towards a report to council in February next.

For the project to move on: Mayor Crosby (two votes) and Crs David Stewart, Moultrie, Baker and Faulkner. Against: Crs Catherine Stewart, Curach, Grainger, Guy and Hayden Evans.