A number of elected members got their feet back on the ground with an interesting tour of inspection last week. Nothing like knowing what you're talking about with first hand experience is there?

First up
First call was to the Otumoetai swimming pool – non complex. The good news is that the pool is clean and the water bore comes up at 50 degrees Celsius. That's it though. The changing rooms are a public disgrace – and rotten. The vinyl tent and airchanging system were an improvement (possibly) over open air but were never a permanent fix. With a lot of Otumoetai Matua ratepayers cash and resources going to 'where the need was greatest” – Mount and Papamoa – (after the Mount politicians took over Tauranga city after the 1989 'reforms”) there has been very little done in the Otumoetai area in the way of amenities. There is no library, new sports facility, new community centre. A couple of joint venture school halls and that's about it.

So what does Council do?
I'm looking for feedback please. Close it? Build new facilities? – cost $1.6 million – for changing rooms, admin and the inevitable meeting room? I can hear you say ‘that's ridiculous' – maybe – but Councils have to comply and comply with a raft of requirements no one else would have to. For example the footpath to the entrance doesn't comply with wheel chair standards.
So do we spend $1.6m? A flash building adjoining a tent. That's not got a good life span so add another $600,000 to permanently enclose the pool. But the swimming club and college have preferential use at certain times. The small end pool needs its own filter plant. Add another ? dollars. Then there's the location. Not particularly safe hidden away from public view. Restricted carparking. But doing it up is $1 million less than a new one somewhere else. And then where would you build a new one? You would have to remove this pool if you built a new one as the cost of having two is prohibitive. Close it? What about Council's stated policy of live, work and play? I'm not promoting any option here. Email me at wrf@clear.net.nz with your views.

New bridge project
Next up was the new harbour bridge project. We saw them pushing the bridge out while we were there. It goes 800 millimetres a push and can go 4 metres an hour. It's truly a marvel engineering feat. The mould for concrete is set up so precisely that a two millimetre error this end would result in missing its target the other end by 500 millimetres.
You will be driving on the new bridge mid next year as they have to close the existing bridge to add off-ramps. When it's completed in autumn 2010 you will drive to the Mount on the new bridge and back to Tauranga on the old bridge. I'm very thankful this project is no longer Council's responsibility but it was a gutsy call for Council to get this bridge underway. With the wisdom of hindsight the $350 million would have broken the bank as far as our credit limit was concerned. The port is New Zealand's biggest export port and is presently planning a large extension heading south down Sulphur Point. Another container crane (more containers blocking the view – just kidding) equals more traffic.

New deserved complex for farmers
Next call was to F.I.L. Farm Innovations Ltd at the Mount. They won an award for their new complex and I can see why. Its amazing the industry we have in Tauranga beavering away with all sorts of products that don't generate news or headlines but are the lifeblood of our city. F.I.L. is such a company formed 25 years ago by two locals. The building is purpose designed and built and includes innovative light and air circulation initiatives.

Graffiti plague
A lively Monitoring Committee meeting with local police commander inspector Mike Clement giving elected members the good oil on what police are doing about graffiti. At last they have recognised this plague for what it is. In many cases the beginnings of a career criminal. It's a 'reprioritisation” of police resources we were told. Graffiti is up 400% and the single biggest contributor to crime in the Bay. 55% of those apprehended were Maori and generically aged 13-19 and live locally. Maori make up 15% of the population so they are over represented statistically. But that is only representative of those police catch. Council has appointed the graffiti co-ordinator who starts work early November. Staff assured council this person will have good intelligence networks to nail these cretins and elected members were united in their opposition to soft soap sentences like diversion. Unfortunately the judges don't come to council to hear the message!

Disappointing results
Tauranga City Venues Ltd (TCVL) the company that runs Baypark Stadium gave its nine month report to Council. Chairman Grant Segar got a real grilling from elected members over a more disappointing result than expected. When Council did its due diligence prior to purchase, losses were forecast for the first couple of years but not quite to this extent. It's not as bad as it looks on paper because depreciation isn't funded but we will be keeping a close eye on it to ensure no ratepayer bailout. Grant highlighted the Blue Chip sponsorship debacle, problems with corporate box rentals due to a lack of variety with Baypark events and speedway not being promoted as well as it could be. Clearly there are problems with the promoter. None of this was TCVL's doing. They inherited the whole lot from vendor Bob Clarkson and council as purchaser lock, stock and barrel.
This was a remarkably forthcoming warts-and-all report that a number of organisations and some staff can learn from. It will be interesting to see how other media report on this presentation but from where I sit it was appreciated to hear it as it is with no fudging and the action they intended to take to rectify matters.

Self supporting pools
Tauranga City Aquatics Ltd (TCAL) the company that runs the city's pools and Baywave also gave their report. Rate requirement (subsidy) is down from $1.985 million to $1.210 million this year which represents $24.50 each ratepayer of $1.23 subsidy on each admission to the pools. This is a lot better than expected and highlights how private enterprise operates more effectively.
If Council ran it, as they used to, this would be a $4 million plus stone around ratepayers' necks in my opinion, based on past performance. My aim is for pools to be self supporting.

Bill Faulkner.