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

The phone calls and emails continue from concerned ratepayers worried about the prospect of their properties being flooded again if the torrential downpours continue.

Make no mistake about it this is a major problem for council that must be addressed in this year's annual plan. Apart from the on-going budget allowed after the 2005 floods there has been no extra budget allowed this year to fund the new problems that have arisen. I can see another $10 million at least just to address the floodings I am personally aware of.
It's going to take a rabbit (or more like an elephant) out of the hat to financially juggle this without going into more debt and possibly breaching the 250 per cent debt ratio set by credit rating standard and poors.
Allowing infill without increasing storm water capacity, allowing soak holes for overflows, under estimating or not estimating changing weather patterns all add to probably not the smartest of past planning regimes in my opinion. And still the planners promote 'intensification”.

Knocked proposed ‘nodal'
Just as well a majority of elected members knocked the proposed 'nodal” intensification proposal on the head in the heady days of the last property bubble of 2005-7. In more ways than one.
In a Joint Council initiative Western Bay Council and Tauranga City Council are doing a few LAPs as part of the Government's not to subtle plan to devolve contentious, emotive and unpopular functions onto your local council. This is a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP).
After a three hour session we had got through two of the 12 issue papers at a combined workshop. Elected members were set up in the centre of the Western Bay chamber fully encircled by staff, media, police and many representatives from the Liquor Industry. I commented that it resembled the classic western situation where settlers in circled wagons were surrounded.
Except in this case some of those surrounded were shooting themselves in the foot.
Issues to be discussed for a draft paper were bottle stores, supermarkets and grocery stores selling liquor. Hours of trade and proximity issues produced a plethora of opinions that saw elected members in wide ranging discussion.
We even have to get a legal description of what a grocery store is in order to prevent dairies trying to get in on the act through the back door. Principle to all this is apparently to minimise harm caused to the community through alcohol. All of us can recognise the harm alcohol creates to some in the community. It is also true that there are many for whom alcohol does not create a problem and it's finding the balance that's creating the confusion.

Sale of liquor
Default hours nationally for sale of liquor though bottle stores and supermarkets is 7am to 11pm. The consensus draft proposal locally is to reduce these hours to 7am to 9pm. All present outlets remain but any new outlets to be allowed on a per capita basis in the future will have to be 500 metres away from other outlets, schools and facilities.
Central Government's move to allow communities to 'decide for themselves” on prostitution, gambling and now liquor is a brilliant strategy as it deflects attention away from the big picture issues Governments plan. That's any Government – not just this one. On that subject I hear again through Local Government NZ that Government plans are still bubbling away over Council's involvement in water supplies. As noted previously this will be corporatisation/privatisation by stealth. In answer to critics who say that many NZ council water supplies are substandard and drinking water has to be boiled the answer is not removal from Council ownership and control. Legislation outlining what standard must be achieved is all that is required.
Councils then do the work at cost. No expensive add-ons like directors fees, tax and profit. The investment hawks are desperate to get their hands on the potential windfall monopoly of water supplies. And they only have to succeed once. Once it's out of public control it's unlikely to ever go back.
On other matters Council is working away at updating the Strand Night management plan. On-going issues over mobile shops at the Mount over the holiday period. The contentious positions are down by the Blowhole on the beach side of the road. The idea is to provide light refreshments to beachgoers to they don't have to cross a busy road, provide a holiday atmosphere and other reasons.
Proposal is to tender positions and ensure that no one tenderer secures all the available sites to obtain a monopoly. Tight control over mobile vendors is to ensure that the rights of established businesses who pay rates and provide a year round service in the not so profitable months are preserved.

Welcome mat out
Freedom camping – that is for motorhomes that have fully self-contained facilities – are to get the welcome mat thanks to Central Government legislation. Councils now have to justify why freedom camping is not allowed rather than only allow it in certain Council owned areas. The on-going problem is with sleeper vans with no self-contained facilities and enforcement of by-laws. We don't have an army of enforcement officers and don't intend to get them so it's largely enforcement upon complaint.
For details of those bylaws you can go online for an update on the current rules.
I made the annual pilgrimage to present our submission to Rotorua District Council seeking operational funding for TECT Park.
We are seeking $60,000 after three years starting with $20,000 this year. This funding would be in addition to what Tauranga and Western Bay presently fund and would speed up and enhance basic park infrastructure providing essential services to the clubs who are funding their own installations.
TECT Park is 2kms closer to Rotorua than Tauranga and Rotorua residents are making use of it. It's a great amenity for the region and provides a permanent home for all kinds of activities that have been 'urbanised” out of city proximity locations.

This week's mindbender from Napoleon Bonaparte – 'In politics stupidity is not a handicap.” After taking on the Russians and losing he would know!