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

There is a rare bit of good financial news for ratepayers this week.

Finance controller Paul Davidson reported a rates surplus from last financial year of $2.7 million – less some carried forward balances of $400,000 – leaving a net $2.3 million surplus.

Of course there is a policy to deal with this – council has a policy for everything – and the first $500,000 will go to debt reduction. There are suggestions for the balance including putting it all – or some – aside for possible leaky homes settlement payments. Development Contributions Collections have plummeted, as expected. In the past budgets, there were star-studded expectations and anticipation of growth continuing. As reality dawned, the budget for last year was reduced to $11.5 million with the final realisation of $8.2 million.

But every cloud has a silver lining and council debt revenue ratio is down from 249 per cent in the budget – standard and poors debt revenue ratio $400 million limit 250 per cent – to 244 per cent. Once Route K debt is removed, council's debt will be back to something like respectable, but this interim reduction is very welcome. It means council and ratepayers are under reduced threat of interest rate increases on existing debt as it falls due because of exceeding the 250 per cent limit.

Harbour access

On Monday, elected members gathered in the councillors' room for morning tea and observed a distraught seagull hanging by its leg from the light standard across the road in Wharf Street. It had been tangled in fishing line and had flown to the top of the light where it got caught up. The line was not quite long enough for it to fly back up on top. It was a pitiful sight dangling from the light struggling and squawking and it was with great relief when the fire brigade turned up and rescued the poor bird. Well done for this humanitarian act.

Elected members had another session on the review of council's property portfolios. This exercise is designed to come up with a list of possible property to be sold with the object of further debt reduction. One of quite a few possibilities is a sale of freehold harbour front land known as Harbour Central down at Sulphur Point. The now removed 600 tonne slipway and adjoining land was purchased to allow the new harbour bridge to be built. The slipway facility has been gone for about six years and council is – belatedly – exploring yet another funding mechanism to facilitate some form of replacement.

It won't be a 600 tonne facility, but there is a need for an over 35 tonne facility. Previously, council hoped to move ahead on the basis of leasing the land, but nothing has eventuated from this. It is paramount in my opinion that public access to the harbour front be preserved, but this can be done, where practical, by use of easements. Staff suggested council consider sale of air space over service lanes – where space six metres above the lane can be built over.

Losing staff from CBD

Priority One, Creative Tauranga and Mainstreet organisations all submitted six month reports to council. Priority One is giving $5000 towards the Hairy Maclary trail being proposed. They told elected members they anticipate a loss of 600 staff from the CBD in the next three years with many offices moving to the periphery of the downtown.

They advocate for a waterfront upgrade to try and balance the effects of this on downtown retail and cafes. The Glass Box on the waterfront was a lead attraction in this they said.

The concept of a playground on the waterfront was kicked for touch by the committee, but yet another taskforce was formed to investigate a waterfront walkway along the northern reclamation. Oh joy.

There have been that many plans, reports and consultants over what will be done to the waterfront over the last 30 years and still the cars prevail. At least another taskforce won't cost in direct terms. Contrary to the Bay Times report – I wasn't part of the playground on the waterfront proposal. In fact I don't support it at this time.

Works are pending on 11th Avenue and Cameron Road environs. It used to be known as Faulkner's corner – no relation. Costs will be about $1 million with $300-$400,000 subsidy from NZTA – formerly Transit now the Agency.

Local government

Staff are still to report back on what expenses council and ratepayers are in for in regard to Rugby World Cup obligations. Russia, Fiji and Samoa are briefly training here. Rugby World Cup decides what will and will not be required and respective councils/ratepayers/government/taxpayers pay up. Great work if you can get it.

At Strategy Committee, elected members received submissions to the proposal to ban election signs for local government elections from public places. We heard from four of the 10 submitters. It was a surprisingly low response, but then so there is for council election votes – 44 per cent at least election. A low number of voters considering local government has a big effect on your day-to-day lives. A decision on the election signs will be made on September 13.

In the public forum – the committee was addressed by Mrs Ursula McGrath and Anne McIntosh on a programme called Cornerstone Values Programme in Schools. It is designed to inject moral values back into society by teaching character education in schools; like responsibility, consideration and honesty, along with the principles of the Law of Consequence – Cause and Effect.

There is much more to it and they told us how it works. They need to get the word out that there are options available for young people and the education system.

This week's mindbender – perhaps relevant to a council.
Critics are like eunuchs in a harem. They are there every night, they see it done every night, they see how it should be done every night, but they can't do it themselves.