Andrew von Dadelszen Former Regional Councillor

I continue to worry that we aren't making enough progress in reversing the deterioration of our greatest asset – Tauranga Harbour.

The regional council is committed to reducing sediment and nutrient build-up in our harbour, but to date progress remains painfully slow.

The Port of Tauranga provides $24 million in dividends to the regional council, and yet their annual plan only notifies a spend of $471,000 in the operational expenditure category of the sustainable coastal management activity in their annual plan. On top of this, they are spending a considerable sum in catchment management to reduce sedimentation into our harbour. However, the total budget for sustainable land use management (over the entire region) is just $3.5 million.

What I am looking for is 'less hui, and more doey”. Let's get our regional vouncil staff out of the comfortable offices, and into the field – making a real environmental difference. We are told around 325,000 tonne of sediment runs into the Tauranga Harbour, and 40 per cent of this comes from the Wairoa River. It would seem to make sense to me that if you want a big, quick win then you need to focus on this 40 per cent first. Use carrots to encourage initially, and if that doesn't work then get out the stick and force compliance to stop that sediment transfer at the source. If you don't have the legal tools, then get them. Western Bay and Tauranga city ratepayers want action on this – not rhetoric… We have to stop the silting, and we also have to stop the nutrification (that is resulting in continued sea-lettuce proliferation), and we have to get this done now. The port produces the money (via its dividend) and the people of Tauranga expect positive results now…

If you have a view on this or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me at: andrew@vond.co.nz or visit: www.vond.co.nz