Brian Anderson The Western Front www.sunlive.co.nz

The regional council is taking community communication to a new level. Community consultation is not generally respected, but the BOP Regional Council Northern Harbour Recreation Strategy meeting is the start of a much closer relationship between regional council and communities. The meetings have a general focus, but the agendas are not lesson plans from on high.

The Northern Harbour Recreation Forum meeting in Waihi Beach last week is a good example of this new approach. People worried about the use and abuse of the harbour, interacted with regional council representatives, officers, support staff and scientists. Everyone was able to have their say – and more importantly know that they were heard.

These meetings are attendees' forums. Those present determine the topics and the direction of the meeting. The harbour is the most significant feature of the northern Bay of Plenty, but the issues addressed on the night included reports from annual plan submissions, heritage trails, tourism, sea grass, black swans, marinas, dredging, access to the harbour, stream control and siltation. People were present as individuals, but came from at least 30 community and environmental groups in the area and everyone went home with a much wider appreciation of the problems that need to be addressed.

Sharing at last

Many groups are focused on single topics and issues which will never be addressed satisfactorily until all of the issues are brought together in a forum of this nature. These forums are not issues-based. They are local people looking after local people and looking after their community welfare. The open discussion revealed how some seemingly wonderful single solutions could look ridiculous. The mangrove protection down Bridgeman Lane was set up to protect godwits that were nesting in the area. Apparently the godwits didn't appreciate our concern and haven't been seen for years. More research is needed obviously, but it will have to be on a wider scale than in the past.

Not judging

The black swans issue could have been very divisive, but after a number of people were able to give their views and received first hand reports, it was amazing how the whole meeting came together. It was also very good that even though an almost universal agreement was reached it was realised that the forum's task is not to sit in judgement – but that its next role would be to reach back to the community and encourage more people to take part and have their views shared in this new community and council interaction opportunity.

Listening

The regional council has volunteered to supply guest speakers on requested topics. Last week, Professor Chris Battershill, who is in charge of the scientific research on Tauranga harbour through Waikato and Bremen Universities, outlined the progress to date and what they are hoping to achieve. He is also speaking at the next meeting of the southern forum. The project isn't just about the harbour itself, but encompasses the whole region, sea lettuce sushi, mangroves cancer treatment, sharks, energy sources, dunes, social implications and much more.

But wait, there's more

Other meetings will be advertised in the local papers and include not just the harbour meetings. Next month, the first Uretara rural landowners' sub catchment meeting will be held at the golf course. It is good to know that the rural landowners are being considered. Many of them were at the last harbour meeting and they are preparing for more than a round or two at the golf course.