The Independent Museum Project Steering Group presented the outcome of their research and deliberations to the projects and services committee this week.
MPSG chairman Jon Mayson and the committee have recommended Cliff Road as the preferred site to build the community-led facility.

Their expectations of council involvement are:
• To contribute a fully consented site on Cliff Road, leased at peppercorn rental to the recognised museum entity, maintain current budgets for retention and storage of appropriate collection and that these funds be recognised as council's contribution to operational costs (about $600,000).
• To establish a community trust to carry forward a museum project funded by the balance of this year's funding for the MPSG of $54,000 (Incidentally, of the $150,000 set aside over two years the MPSG only spent $21,000).
• The MPSG be disestablished immediately and council seek nominations for a Museum Community Trust.
This is a sensible outcome for what had become a long drawn out process stemming back 10 years or more. Jon Mayson said this recommendation wouldn't suit everyone. They had considered 17 potential sites and trawled through all the accumulated documents of the previous museum committee. Funding will come from contestable government funding, donations, charitable trusts, and other external sources like lottery grants. Jon made specific reference to the Historic Village site and said it was unsuitable for many reasons, such as its lack of real Tauranga history – only two or three buildings are really historical and there was potential to shift those. Jon said the recommendation may be criticised, but there was now a stake in the ground. He thought there was potential for a staged development and ballpark costings of about $10 million would see much use of volunteers and voluntary contributions.
Common sense seems to have prevailed in my opinion and it is now up to the museum enthusiasts to get in behind and make this work if there truly is a desire and need for a museum in Tauranga.

Entrenched by past
Unsurprisingly I heard last week some of the waterfront museum stalwarts were still saying that all that was needed to get the waterfront museum project going again was to stall things off until the council elections in October when a more 'enlightened” council could reinstate the project. That doesn't seem to be an election winner, although all manner of election hopefuls are starting to emerge with all kinds of ideas and promises.
Sad to say that the financial pathways for council for the next 10 years are pretty well formulated by previous council's spending priorities and central government legislation. Unless of course the community wants council to cut levels of service, but it seems that a majority of citizens are relatively comfortable with present levels of service and some are demanding increased levels of service. Oh well, you can't please everyone in this business.

Speedway's making noise
After the museum presentation, the projects committee went into a confidential section to hear a presentation from the BOP Speedway Association about their concerns for the future of speedway at Baypark.
Obviously it's not appropriate to discuss the details here, but it's no secret there is dissatisfaction in speedway circles with the current situation.
Falling spectator and entry numbers do not auger well for the future of the sport. Baypark, whilst owned by council/ratepayers is run at arms length by Tauranga City Venues Ltd which leases the facility to many users. One of these users is Speedway, which is a commercial operation run by independent promoter Willie Kay. It is a complex situation that everyone knew about when Bob Clarkson sold the facility to council.
There is no ratepayer funding for Baypark and none is provided for in the 10 year plan – contrary to rumours circulated by people who should know better.

The price of a book
Talking about rumours, the record needs to be set straight about the proposal for a small charge on library books. It is an annual plan proposal only.
It was moved by Rick Curach seconded by
Hayden Evans for a proposed $1 book charge on adult members.
This was subsequently watered down to 50c in the first year before rising to 80c in year three by Mike Baker seconded Wayne Moultrie. It was interesting to attend a protest meeting about these proposed library charges and listening to many points of view against. Excluding media, elected members and election hopefuls, about 90 or so attended.
Mike Baker asked if the present work on Takitimu Drive was an unmitigated disaster. It is a NZTA (formerly Transit) project and was told the contractor 'had a few challenges” coupled with bad luck. Even more bad luck for users. When this project was being designed in the 80s, I queried why the road wasn't being built like roads of old. Romans built roads that still work today. There was a long string of reasons given, but reflecting today they look like glib excuses. Just like the Willow Street bus shelter.
It seems it is to go ahead at a cost of $280,000 because there is no real will to stop it. Short of another notice of motion (which is an option) this looks like a foregone conclusion.
An interesting figure to contemplate – it costs $70,470 an hour to run city hall and services. And to finish, another leak of confidential private business to the Bay Times, this time about the contractors to Leisureco. This is totally inappropriate action by whoever did it. It is most likely coming from political sources and it is hard to fathom why, unless it is for favourable personal publicity as a reward?