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

Mauao (aka The Mount) is to get a JAB. That is, a Joint Administering Body and while we are doing puns that's not another way of doing wacky backy! From around the middle of the year, four elected members and four representatives from Maoridom will administer Mauao. At present its run by the Mauao Steering Committee.

Ratepayers will continue to fund the annual cost of about $600,000 plus any unforeseen costs like fires, slips etc. These can cost plenty in past experience. An updated Reserves Management Plan is required – so elected members were told estimates for this are around $100,000. All ratepayer funding will still be Council approved.

The new board will also have access to community funding to add to ratepayers contributions. Mauao is owned by Maori, with continued Crown involvement will be administered by the JAB and day to day management will be delivered through Council staff for the next few years. More than one million people walk around and over it during the year.

It is another of Tauranga's many attractions that is understated. How many residents regularly look at and appreciate its grandeur? From where I live in Otumoetai the vista of the harbour and Mount is spectacular as I drive down the street.

Another jewel in Tauranga's crown is McLarens Falls Park. It is becoming more well-known and appreciated for the beautiful spot it is. But it's becoming a victim of its own success. Last month 11,000 vehicles went through. The cafe in the park (a great spot for a coffee) isn't allowed to put a sign out on the highway but a public toilet sign is allowed? Result: many more urgent toilet calls to the new toilets. More usage equals more cost for incidentals and cleaning. Up at the camping ground there were up to 250 people a night during the holidays. Unbelievably, the new ablutions block up their features – three showers in separate rooms but to ‘save' costs only one toilet? Go figure – talk about spoil the ship for a ha'penth worth of tar. It's also time the lacklustre (to say the least) four long drops around the park were replaced.

Staff will be presenting a report seeking a little more funding to keep the current level of service. If you haven't been up there, or it's been a while since you visited, give yourself a treat and go.

Our quest for a new chief executive continues with more interviews, discussion and debate – all in confidential to protect applicants' privacy. As noted last week, the pool of people who can do the job and want to do it is not large. But elected members are aware of how critical the appointment is to the organisation and Tauranga City's future. It's going on too long, for sure, but it's better to do that than make a rushed decision. I'll get into more details once the appointment is made.

Lengthy debate around the way Council administers Central Governments' so-called Freedom Camping Act which it rushed through before the Rugby World Cup. Mayor Stuart Crosby said it is an ill-defined piece of legislation. I agree.

What is freedom camping? Some might say it's a tent, no toilet facilities and roughing it. But this legislation snares certified motorhomes which are entirely self-contained – toilet, shower, grey water storage. So they can be parked in any lawful place but you aren't allowed to sleep in it unless it is specifically permitted. Other vans have sleeping facilities only with no ablutions amenities. So there needs to be distinctions. We all have different definitions and interpretations and it needs clarification. Staff are to bring back a report covering these and other issues focusing on the effects of allowing certified vehicles to stay overnight, unless specifically banned on reserves.

Council is to review, again, the hot potato issue of mobile vendors on Mount Main Beach during the holidays. Actually, it's cold drinks and ice creams mainly but some of those licenced vendors are drawing a long bow with their licence. We saw photos of them occupying three car parks when they are only supposed to occupy one.

One vendor admitted to 'subversive” parking manipulation. Required to move every hour, he parked a car in an adjacent parking space and played musical cars. Nonsense stuff. If vendors are to be there then there should be practical rules applied. This is what a review will highlight.

On other items, TCC is making a lengthy submission to the Productivity Commissions report to Central Government. This commission is being somewhat critical of Government's involvement (successive Governments that is) in creating unnecessary costs and delays in how we go about business. One part of the discussion is on a four year term for Government and there was a brief discussion of the effect such a move might have on Council. The discussion points seem simple. First year, to lull the people, second and third year to do the deeds and the fourth year to get re-elected. That's how it seems to work in the States. Two years to get policies in place with limited political consequence seems a good idea – provided there are good policies. The contra is that four years of poor policies and ineffective government can mean even more damage to society. Some politicians might see the attraction of extending their job security.

Ratepayers are likely to pay for debt reduction of four per cent a year on land at Te Tumu. That's $400,000 a year. Larry Baldock and myself voted against this. The land is a strategic asset that will enable Council to fix stormwater problems at Papamoa and then be sold at some time in the future at a profit, so why saddle ratepayers at this time. Ratepayers will pay interest in the meantime.

This week's mindbender from Robert Le Fevre (left off from last week's column) – 'Government is a disease masquerading as its own cure.”