More progress for the city with a successful bond float for investors of $50 million. It is filling rapidly upon opening and demonstrated great confidence from the market in council, staff, our policies and directions.

The naysayers would have had a field day if it had not got this support. Paying 7.05% at present for five years the final rate will be set December 2. City debt, so often quoted by naysayers is a sound business practice provided it is controlled and managed well and obviously investors think it is.

Huge restoration
At Projects & Services Committee elected members were shown a DVD from the Kopurererua Valley Rotary Trust on their contribution to replanting K Valley. They said it's a huge restoration project, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It will take decades to complete and includes council reinstating the stream to its original alignment.
The free cardboard and paper collection run by private contractors will cease at the end of January.
The 140 litre bins picked up fortnightly will replace the weekly 60 litre bin pick up. Details will be advertised soon.

Rates increase
Four days of 10 year plan discussions commenced this week and unfortunately the Bay Times is already running predicted rate increases. Mayor Stuart Crosby went to great lengths to explain that in our initial discussion everything was included for consideration but that elected members needed to cut out at least ½ billion dollars. But seeing the Bay Times reporter didn't turn up for the first two meetings I suppose it makes it easy to understand that when reports are written off agendas this sort of thing happens – it's like interviewing your own keyboard.
During the 10 year plan discussion I asked for details on demographics from the last census on income levels, home ownership and mortgages. Of Tauranga households, 46% have incomes under $50,000 for instance. A lot of single occupancy cuts income in half but leaves costs of living including rates the same or nearly so. And we are aware of the burden this causes to some and will be uppermost in elected members' minds as we formulate the 2009/2019 10 year plan for your consideration. And it is only a plan. Not a divine right some in the past may have considered it.
At full Council a discussion on separate Maori representation didn't go anywhere. It's hard to support this concept especially when Rick Curach asked Maori present if they had fielded any candidates at the last council election. They said they didn't know why there weren't any. A resolution setting up a small subcommittee for representation review giving Mayor Stuart the right to appoint an independent member along with staff and a Tangata Whenua member also got kicked to touch. Council will complete the required representative review and send it out to you for comment. I reminded Council that last time we did this the Electoral Commission disregarded the wishes of the majority and rode roughshod over our referendum result. But they were a Labour Government appointed committee. A cynic might say jobs for the boys! (and girls).

Getting the chop
The Kotuku Place liquid amber tree is finally a goner. Staff stalled off the Council resolution requiring its removal pending 'new information” and ex city councillor Mary Dillon's contribution via the Bay Times may have also influenced this. But we're running the show and as I said, people or trees first is a no-brainer and this tree is really quite inappropriate. It will be replaced with a more suitable tree.
Rick Curach went on for unbelievable ¾ hour with yet another notice of motion. This time suggesting ratepayers subsidise first home owners by annulling an approximate $12,000 building impact fee. The old 'it's only a cup of coffee” trick. It failed spectacularly after his dissertation for want of a seconder. The rest of us figured that you don't pay your rates to help provide houses for others. Any help here should come from Central Government.

Election decisions
Isn't it great that the silly season (for the time being) is over and there is a clear cut election decision? Congratulations to Simon Bridges and Tony Ryall as our two electorate MPs. Let's hope that their huge majorities don't lull them into a false sense of electoral security. As NZ's fastest growing city and major port the infrastructural support Tauranga needs from Central Government is huge. We might all expect that the confidence shown to the incoming government would be reciprocated and we not be left to languish as many Governments, both Labour and National did in the past. Labour because they didn't have a chance of getting Tauranga and National because of the 'safe seat” syndrome enjoyed by George Walsh and Keith Allen, past National MP's in the 60s,70s and 80s.
It was only as a marginal seat and Winston Peters' profile that Tauranga belatedly got at least some attention. In addition to the Central Corridor $100m we need funding for the Eastern Motorway to Paengaroa and Northern Motorway skirting Bethlehem to Te Puna. Route K off the city's financial responsibility list. Nothing $4 or $500 million won't fix.
A Department for Infrastructure with ministerial responsibility to cabinet is a positive move provided it doesn't get bogged down in brownie points systems, political sleight of hand, Resource Management Act (RMA) to name a few blocks in present systems of allocation of funding. They might start with giving the RMA a good going over. It's now sometimes used as a weapon rather than to protect anything.
For example if you want to do something that involves a resource consent permit you pay a fee (usually outrageous) await the bureaucracy's pleasure (time is not of the essence). Anyone can object, pay $57 and take you to the Environment Court. Waiting list sometimes three years.
Unless you are prepared to negotiate, barter, compromise (pay money) with an objector in which case things may smooth out. Of course it's not always like this. Recently I was involved with a resource consent to shift 18 piles two metres. Deposit on the resource consent fee is $750. Ridiculous but if you want it done, you pay up, tug up your forelock and shut up. This needs urgent overhaul in its implementation and interpretation. The basic premise of the RMA in 1989 was reasonable but its turned into a many-headed monster in the interim that costs us all.
Great effort by local kart enthusiasts with their Grand Prix around the Cameron Road – Glasgow circuit on Sunday. Mostly volunteers and a well run event. Those karts certainly motor and aren't toys. Well done.
Cr Bill Faulkner.