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

Elected members wrapped up the annual plan last week with a final rate revenue increase of two per cent.

This extra amount will kick start a five- year $43.5million new project for additional storm water works. We had already made inroads into the budget, by cutting out some other discretionary expenditure amounting to just under $1million, which will also go towards storm water. For the first time in memory, this rate revenue increase was a unanimous decision. Where basic infrastructure for ratepayers' homes is concerned, all ratepayers are in this together – hence the agreement of all elected members. It's true that this storm water work should have been done in the past. But it wasn't, as successive council's focused on non-core business – nourishing minds I remember being repeatedly told – and the three waters – water, waste water and storm water were the Cinderellas of rates dollar priorities. So now the work must be done and probably to the exclusion and/or postponement of many other items in council's 10-year plan. So be it.

Beware
After this year's elections, council will be looking at a much reduced 10-year plan if the presently estimated nine per cent rate revenue increase for 2014/15 is to be reduced to council's self-imposed rates cap of two per cent, plus inflation. So anyone making election year promises will be speaking with forked tongue where any extra expenditure is concerned. And urgency, conveyed by affected residents and elected members, was reflected with staff action.
New CEO Garry Poole and his staff were back the next day with a generic way forward, starting with the five-year programme outlined, with estimated extra capital expenditure and extra operational funding. The existing storm water programme is unaffected and those works will continue as planned. It was great to hear David Stewart speaking to the resolution, and saying how paramount it was that basic infrastructure was council's priority. It's never too late to change your focus!
First term councillor Tony Christiansen gave an impassioned speech, citing his disappointment at previous council's reluctance to increase rates to a sufficient level. I didn't interrupt him but afterwards I did alert him to my contention that even if the rates increases of those years had been doubled, those councils were unlikely to have spent it on core infrastructure anyway. In my opinion, waste water and storm water were set back at least a decade with the financial restraints imposed on them. Simply, elected members on those councils, in the majority, were focused elsewhere. Pipes in the ground don't make good election planks because no one can see them whereas buildings make good entries on your CV – is an old adage in local government.

Failed attempt
A last minute attempt to reinstate $80,000 of an original $150,000 earmarked for promotion of Baypark ASB arena, and associated CCO operations, failed. Because it was a recent resolution to remove the $150,000, a 75 per cent majority was required. Peter Farmer, chairman of Bay Leisure and Events for whom the money was intended, said this was a 'transitional” cost. I asked how this could be a ratepayer responsibility when it was for promotional costs and he didn't give a convincing response in my opinion. That $80,000 is about 40 people's rates, and it has to be recognised that one purpose of council forming the CCO is to detach it from ratepayers' breasts and stand on its own feet. The promotional work is a great move and should happen but not at ratepayers expense.
Rick Curach, Larry Baldock and others, are most concerned that some council employees (about 50) don't receive a living wage ($18.65) per hour. The minimum wage is $13.75 per hour. The living wage concept is a good thought and it would also be good if all ratepayers could also receive a weekly minimum income of $18.65 per hour.
Gate Pa commemoration finances will get $50,000 towards upgrading the Gate Pa reserve, with already budgeted for funds being reprioritised. Te Ranga battle site will get consideration in later years in a united approach to Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Western Bay District Council and other funding sources. Te Ranga is in Western Bay district.

Controlled development
A parting thought on the flooding situation council found itself in consequent to the April 20-21 floods. It is another consequence of intensification. Planners and others constantly harp on that city boundaries must be contained, because of the cost of expanding infrastructure, and intensification is the way forward. But controlled development of greenfields sites might be less costly than retro-fitting services to the likes of affected areas such as Matua. Staff showed photos of the Matua area in 1943 when it was a farm, then of 1977 with full section development, then of 2012 with infill development. These three photos spoke a thousand words – see for yourself. So a carefully designed expansion of controlled boundaries may not be the bogey that is portrayed, and may even bring down the cost of land. It was an inspired moment when a majority of elected members voted down the publicly unpopular proposal for 'nodal” intensification at Greerton, Arataki and the Avenues in 2006-2007.
At the Projects and Monitoring committee, elected members considered the future of the Cargo Shed on Dive Crescent for the next 12 months. It seems there has been an irreconcilable difference between Creative Tauranga, which presently hold the lease on the Cargo Shed (at $5500 per year), and the tenants/stall holders. We heard presentations from both and in a unanimous decision the stallholders were awarded the lease subject to the chief executive being satisfied that all arrangements protected council's position. This has been a sorry affair in that both groups have similar objectives but it was clear that they were never going to get back together. C'est la vie!

This week's mindbender from Henry W Austin – 'Genius, that power which dazzles mortal eyes, is often but perseverance in disguise.”