Brian Anderson The Western Front www.sunlive.co.nz

Our current Western Bay councillors, trying for a place on council, will have the advantage of knowing the system and appearing competent.

But in the end, like any other job applicants, they should be showing us their work experience in reverse chronological order – and be judged on their accomplishments during that time. The only criteria, apart from obvious updated communication skills, should be their experience in successful governance, determining strategy; and providing direction for and monitoring planning. The last three years of council performance in these areas does not look good.

Urban growth planning has been a disaster. Waihi's planned growth was to expand out to SH2 but there has been no growth in six years. There is considerable dissatisfaction with council performance, and perceived inequities, in their targeted rates. Katikati was planned to expand out the Beach Rd peninsula. But the last plan indicated growth should be on the other side of the Katikati bypass, which probably won't be put in for another 50 years. Omokoroa was to be the only urban growth area; and $50million of infrastructure was set in place for 12,000 newcomers – who never turned up. A targeted rate on the current residents will not work, so the rest of the district is financing this debt. The main problem for all the planning is that most of the growth has gone to Tauranga City Council's Tauriko and The Lakes subdivision, which wasn't considered in the plan. The Northern motorway link to Omokoroa has stalled. But some councillors are still hoping that Omokoroa growth will be resurrected with a $21million roundabout. The new urban growth nodes, suggested at Wairoa and Te Puna, appear more of an attempt to get more money to pay for the Omokoroa pipeline than a genuine part of any built environment strategy.

Industrial growth planning has been a failure. Katikati has had two of its new businesses start up in the industrial zone in six years. The cost of developing an industrial site within the industrial zone is totally prohibitive. One owner stated that he could not even sell the land for $1, because the costs would make it uneconomic. There has been word out that the Omokoroa industrial land is to be sold off, as it appears that again the planning has achieved nothing. There is a little more optimism in Te Puke. But the Tauriko industrial area, not included in the original planning, has taken most of the growth and continues to expand.

The Katikati Carisbrooke Rd extension is great for the town but it was necessary when the council allowed the new supermarket to be on the edge of town, and the only access for residents was along SH2's Main Rd. This commercial development has now locked in an unwanted ribbon development; and now the largest parking area in town is half a kilometre away from the town centre.

Council has now accepted that the money paid to Tourism Bay of Plenty might not be value for money. But, as with other joint projects that it has committed to, it appears that the council has very few planning ideas of its own on which to exercise their governance skills.

I was told off by a councillor for analysing the past and worrying about the present. He was touting for SmartGrowth as a vehicle for analysing the big picture, and believed I should be more positive. I replied that we are paying now for council mistakes of the past, and we cannot understand the council's current planning – so don't blame us for heeding Satanya's warning 'that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. The new council will have to learn to govern and provide strategies that will not only start to repair the damage of the last few years, but set up a trustworthy path for the future. Prospective candidates will have to provide their plans for needed change in council operation, and not dwell on their past accomplishments – or it will be very embarrassing for them.