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

I decided not to feature any particular issues until September 15 and until everyone has had a chance to respond to my three questions on what the council is doing well, what they have to hurry up and what they need to correct or implement urgently.

Thanks for the replies so far, but I have received just about as many questions as answers. With time on my hands, I decided to follow up queries related to developments on Matakana Island. I didn't expect to find 10 years of documentation on disputes, financial fiddling, Privy Council involvement, Treaty claims and a suspected murder with police and coroner reports. WBOP District Council has been party to much of this mayhem. For a council that in a previous draft plan forgot to include Matakana Island, the recent district plan has been overkill. The stories that are emerging are so intriguing that I considered sending the material off to Jonathan Dreaver for another Bond novel, but I discovered that The Weekend Sun has just reported the whole story could be coming out in a film.

Much of the confusion over the uneven treatment of residents in the Northern end of the harbour is now coming clear. The much ridiculed Kauri Point boat ramp does have a purpose. The arguments over Bowentown development and the strange council's reluctance to participate in its own Northern Harbour Recreation Forum are all related to the Matakana machinations. The secrecy over the Katikati Town Centre and Matakana appear to be examples of a council claiming confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, while avoiding transparency and accountability. They never seem to realise that anything hidden will eventually be revealed. What is strange is that a considered development of the island could be a very popular move, but with all of the partial stories coming out, any project from now on could be tainted with suspicion and even derision.

After I have read all of the documents sitting on my desk and after I have consulted with my lawyer I might be able to report on some of my research findings. In the meantime, there is nothing to stop anyone else doing the same research. Start with lawisanass-wingate.blogspot.com/2011/03/matakana-island.

This blog is, of course, one man's point of view, but he has liberally included a large number of official documents and URLs in the text. I am still collecting information and I am only up to June this year. If anyone can help me with any further information, especially any updates on Matakana developments, I would appreciate your contributions. I would prefer to be supporting something good and worthwhile coming out of the mess, but there is little that is encouraging at the moment.