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

My first submission to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council Annual Plan questioned the current activity on the Katikati town centre.

Council's responses confirmed that it is out of touch with the community and has embarked on an expensive project of their own devising for their own purposes at a significant cost to the ratepayers.

Land has just been purchased at what locals believe could be twice the current market price.

Land Information New Zealand had already recorded the sale, but the actual sale price had been withheld.

Residents' letters to the local paper on the purchase were stopped by the council before publication. The council then released the fact of the sale, but wouldn't release the sale price claiming commercial sensitivity. The council confirmed that a loan was needed and that it is to be serviced by a Katikati targeted rate. What is the haste? What was the rubbish over commercial sensitivity when a council is only buying land for a library? What possible justification can be given for the censorship?

Answers that are not answers

I also questioned council planning for the town centre. The reply claimed considerable consultation with the town, a strategic plan derived from the Built Environment Strategy, a town centre plan and a comprehensive development plan for Katikati in 2014. The full facts tell a different story. The council report on the results of community consultation for the Katikati Draft Town Centre Plan was never published because council wanted to ignore the public responses. They defied the public and adopted their plan. The strategic plan was only available on internet and it was not available for discussion. Since then, the council has continued spending. A new set of town centre plans has been drawn up with alternatives that have not been shown to the public and their town centre will literally be set in concrete before any road planning and before the 2014 town development planning is started.

A library that is not a library

It is obvious that the council's only concern is getting their new library that is not a library underway as soon as possible. I could advise you to watch this space, but it might be better for you to watch your pockets. Even if you don't know what is being bought you must realise you are already paying for it.