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

Elected members met with local MP's Tony Ryall and Simon Bridges last week for a discussion on Route K's future ownership and any role they might have to help their constituencies.

The issue facing council, NZTA and the Government over Route K are more complex than should be required to just transfer ownership of a road. The two MP's were obviously aware in general terms of the situation and cottoned on quickly to the detail in the discussion. They are to take up the matter on a political level as a constituency function. Their attitude is helpful and realistic and hopefully will bring another dimension to negotiation.

As I noted in a recent column why would NZTA/Government want Route K? It's there and it's paid for (by users – sort of!) Previous indicators/assurances from former Transit NZ are still acknowledged but the game has changed. The financial downturn has affected NZTA revenues. Christchurch has affected Government's spending priorities. So the way I see it is we have to present the Route K package in a manner that makes it attractive to both NZTA – who have to work to Government set criteria – and Government itself. NZTA is set up to handle much more tolling than it presently handles. This involves electronic toll collection. Current cost of this is 58c per toll but the more tolls collected the less the cost will be because the major cost is in the actual toll collection infrastructure. Route K toll collection presently costs less than that – 38c. How much business would be gained/lost by removing a cash collection/card system and replacing with the electronic one?

With the pending opening of the Eastern Link bypassing Te Puke, both systems should be compatible – and Eastern Link will be electronic. This system takes a photo of your number plate and you pay online. Other payment options are being investigated but won't include a cash collection.

Private Public Partnership (PPP) are the roads of the future – read Toll roads – and provided there are optional 'free” routes as well it gives motorists practical options and takes the loads off the 'free” roads. Overseas, tolls roads are common place and PPP's importance to NZ's transport future is inevitable.

At full council there was a wide ranging agenda for elected member's attention. Murray Guy was querying a confidential agenda item involving a possible property purchase and named the property's potential beneficiary. Experience has shown that when news of council's interest in a property is known the price sky-rockets. It won't take much to put two and two together if the media publish what Murray said. It will be interesting to see what comes first, media self-interest or the public (ratepayer) interest.

Tauranga Free Kindergarten is seeking council/ratepayer assistance in provision of a site for a new free kindergarten in Mount North. Staff will report back on likely sites. May Street reserve and vacant land beside Zespri were mentioned although Mount Ward members said they would be inappropriate.

We're almost done with the closure of the Sapphire Drive/Harrisfield Drive accessway. This has been a typical council process. Long, drawn out, as all factors were considered and reconsidered. I counted seven formal agenda items going back to 28 October 2008.

Litterbugs beware. Council approved a new infringement fee regime if you're caught littering. That means an instant fine of $100-$400 instead of having to go to court. You will still have that option. I asked staff if there would be litter police to enforce it and was reassured that it would be primarily educational and advisory first off. But throwing a cigarette butt is a different action to chucking a bag of rubbish out of your car. And repeat offenders would soon run out of education and advice. It's another tool to encourage people to keep Tauranga clean and presentable. Litter could be regarded as another form of graffiti.

The floating glass house that was moored down on the CBD waterfront got the heave ho. On a split vote it had been allowed to remain after the restaurant ferry Kestrel went back to Auckland. A condition of it remaining was that it was to be open and operating by 30 September 2012. It broke free from its moorings some time ago and has been moored at the Bridge Marina since. It has never been tenanted. The owner asked for an extension but also said that he didn't want a finite date that might set the project up to fail. The gap left by this removal should be filled by another pontoon to allow public access to the water. The resolution passed 8-3.

An informal presentation from staff of the Regional Council regarding the $200 million infrastructure development; The Regional Council has $890 million in assets – mainly port shares held by a CCO, Quayside. Quayside has $65 million debt – guaranteed by ratepayers. Quayside has six directors, three of which are from the Regional Council and three independent directors with no casting vote for the chair. The three Regional Council appointees are Mary-Ann McLeod, CEO of Regional Council; Paula Thompson ex TCC CEO and former TCC staff member Jane Nees. They draw directors' fees of around $50,000 each in addition to their remuneration on the Regional Council. I'll go into the detail of this next week but will leave you with this thought. No matter which way you look at it this fund will cost ratepayers extra and in my view plenty. Tauranga and Western Bay Council ratepayers are clearly subsidising the rest of the region heavily. The port shares alone would repay most of all the region's council's debt. And most of this information goes under yours and the media's radar and most certainly is not subject to your minute scrutiny. In fact a large percentage of the ratepaying population is barely aware of the Regional Council function, purpose and existence.

This week's mindbender – a good one for politicians: From Aesop – 'Please all and you will please none.”