Cr Bill Faulkner Faulkners Corner www.sunlive.co.nz

The government's Alcohol Reform Bill was considered by elected members at strategy and policy committee this week.
We are making a written submission and will be represented in Wellington by Mayor Stuart Crosby.

We are rounding up the horses that bolted after ‘reforms' of previous legislation almost allowed open slather with booze. Now this isn't the pot calling the kettle black. I'm a social drinker like most of you and have had my moments – but before the booze laws were relaxed there was rarely widespread disorder in the community.
In the presentation, people's rights and freedoms were referred to, but nowhere were responsibilities referred to. This is the nub of it. So if people can't, won't or don't acknowledge their responsibilities to fellow citizens then legislation is the only remedy.
For example there was a recent serious incident in Tauranga where someone was brutally beaten up and the perpetrators casually strolled to their car, changed clothes and brazenly strolled back – all tracked on security cameras. To me these cretins had set out deliberately for a night of violence.
So council will support the reforms together with a ‘one way door' system to be implemented two hours before closing time, which for the Mount is 1am and in the CBD, 3am.
Is that too late? Some people come to town tanked because they can't afford bar prices. Is it a function for society to provide them with a venue for their irresponsible antics?
Meanwhile, the restaurant/bar scene in the CBD is a model of decorum up to about 10.30pm from personal observations – and after the likes of me go home there's no reason why this scenario shouldn't remain – and if it takes the heavy hand of legislation to deter the cretins – so be it.

Mopping up the leaky mess
The Leaky Homes Financial Assistance Package was also discussed and council will file a submission to government on this. It's a well intentioned Bill, but will open a Pandora's Box that could create more problems than it solves.
At present, if there has been negligence by councils in their regulatory obligations and it is legally proven, then council pays whatever the courts decide. For Tauranga this is mainly $10,000 to $50,000. This Bill aims to cut out the legal process, but somehow, fault needs to be determined, otherwise this new proposal leaves itself open to abuse.
There appears to be no monetary cap nor does there appear to be a cap on council's 25 per cent share. There is a five year limit on claims and there is the matter of where people who have a leaky home will get their 50 per cent contribution for repairs from.
In some cases, people could be better advised to stick with the present legal processes. It's going to be a complex tortuous process for all concerned and it won't be cheap or easy either.

Safe passage together
The first joint governance committee meeting for the new triennium was held this week and apparently the City and Western Bay are two of the few councils that work harmoniously. This is part of SmartGrowth where we also work with the regional council. The committee had an impressive presentation from John Forbes, Mayor of Opotiki and Chairman of Civil Defence for the Bay of Plenty.
John boxes well above his weight in local government and he highlighted how the Bay needs to get more serious about preparation for ‘an event'. Not scaremongering, but a realistic evaluation of the high risk Bay of Plenty; tsunami, earthquake, volcanic explosion. He quoted the Tarawera explosion in the 1880s which lasted four days. A 1300s Tarawera eruption lasted seven years. We have four of the biggest volcanoes in the world in our hinterland. 15 per cent of people are reasonably well prepared and 78 per cent weren't. Unfortunately daily media weren't there to report on this.

Mending the passage
Beach Road walkway repairs will be underway shortly. Council just can't move in with an instant fix. DOC and regional council have to be involved. It's all being addressed and repair work is being done under provisions of ‘emergency storm drainage'. Once upon a time the council could have just done it. Repairs will cost about $130,000 for what should be a more permanent walkway, but that depends on the force of future storms. Likewise the Mount walking track, but these repairs will take longer due to the severity of damage and Maori requirements for handling of earth on the Mount.

Mindbender for this week from Sir Winston Churchill – success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.