Council finished its initial 10 year plan for consultation last week after eight consecutive days of meetings.

You might have thought that a $1.3 billion outline, unsustainable at that, shaping the future of Tauranga would have warranted close attention from the media, but no. As I said last week only spasmodic attendance, probably less than 50%. How can they formulate background to write meaningful articles if they aren't there? Most disappointing from your point of view. Last day for summing up in fact, only eight elected members and no media showed up!
If we are to continue running the city in the manner that it is, then it's apparent ratepayers are on a funding carousel in perpetual motion. Thank heavens that waterfront museum project was canned, we're still considering the Indoor Sport and Exhibition Centre, and we canned some long term open space purchases and held back a staggering $58 million stormwater projects over 10 years.
We knocked approximately $150 million out of the 10 year plan, excluding the central corridor $100 million, even down to considering stopping the hanging baskets downtown at a cost of $40,000 a year. Effect on your total annual rates bill with this sort of slashing is negligible, considering the effect and bang for buck on downtown.

Cutting grass and costs
Savings by increasing length of grass in parks, restricting beach grooming, less garden maintenance and the like also have little effect across the board and those of us present agreed that the city looked pristine for the dollars spent. Palmerston North for instance, we were told, spent 40% more than a similar level of service on mowing.
So that's it. The 10 year plan that will come to you for consultation is unsustainable in years 4-10. Next year's financial rate revenue requirement will be a gross 9.3% – down from an initial 12%. Average rate increase will be $72 per year, or as some wag said, only a half a cup of coffee a week. Council will actively pursue Central Government for financial help. If that's not forthcoming, then it's into significant reduction in council services or massive rate hikes for the future.
Throw into this next year in October there will be an election, and elected members always come under pressure in the third year of triennium annual budgets. Inexperienced hopefuls always promise more for less. I remember a few elections ago one candidate promising a 20% rate reduction – he didn't ever say how.

Get priorities right
From where I sit it's about priorities. For instance I advocated strongly for a full spend on stormwater ($213m) at the expense of social spending. Mayor Stuart Crosby said that if it didn't flood we don't need stormwater but other social items were essential. I replied that if the people at risk from flooding (some 280 in the Eversham Road area were mentioned) came home from an upgraded Baycourt show to flooded homes, they might question Council's priorities. We will revisit user fees and charges, we will talk to Council Controlled Organisations – the art gallery, Tourism BOP, TCVL and TCAL plus agencies that deliver services on behalf of council – Creative Tauranga, Sport BOP, Priority One, Chamber of Commerce, to seek their active participation in a rescue package over 10 years. Good luck.

Tsunami alerts
Onto some snippets from the debate. During a discussion on the $450,000 Tsunami Alert System we were told the regional council, Environment Bay of Plenty, will now fund 50%. The Tauranga city share is $261,000. Without a flicker, the staff member said the issue had been floating around for a while. Later we were told Council was between the devil and the deep blue sea over this expenditure, which wouldn't be necessary if there was no tsunami. This project is re-scheduled for three-four years' time.
Libraries cost ratepayers more than $7 million. They have 66.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff members and spend 25% of their budget on books.
By majority vote ratepayers won't be funding incentives to assist Maori in residential development of multiple owned Maori land. Mayor Stuart Crosby, Murray Guy, Bill Grainger, Catherine Stewart and Wayne Moultrie thought we should.

Parking dropped
A $12m parking building was dropped. Okay, but Council is reducing available carparks (The Strand reclamation, for example) and where are those cars going to park? Ratepayers will fund $275,000 to upgrade the top of Mount Maunganui. Some funding for the Mount comes from the camping ground surplus. The camp is now known in PC terms as Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.

Flytower still in
The million-dollar Baycourt Flytower upgrade is still in. No-one was game to move anything because of the thrashing it's already had and the threat of OSH issues. Some thought this was a hydraulic system but no, apparently it's a revamped rope and pulley system on winches.
Hayden Evans thought that some people who knowingly bought flood prone homes or lived in them already should be prepared to open their cheque books and ratepayers shouldn't be baling them out if they had made a bad purchase decision.
Staffing levels at City Hall are 457.75 FTEs and the gross salary bill is $32,008,837, less $1 million for positions that won't be filled and some $700,000 for fixed term workers finishing a project. Forty-five staff receive more than $100,000, around 240 receive $60,000. Last annual report showed CEO at $375,000 from memory.

Increase out of our hands
Staff advised that the budget included provision for an average 2.5% increase over the coming year. Elected members have no influence over this. Legislation dictates we tell our CEO, our only employee, what we want done, vote a budget for you to pay, and then leave it to him to implement.
The grey area is the monitoring of this implementation, but this has improved markedly in this term as this Council takes an active interest in implementation overseeing, unlike previous councils where some members preferred to sit in their ivory towers concentrating on the lofty principles of governance.
Otumoetai Pool is still in and $910,000 for bus priority is in. Bus lane rat runners (those who speed down those lanes) will soon be supporting city coffers, as our parking wardens will be getting warrants allowing them to photograph and ticket this new motor sport.
By day seven, Murray Guy had changed his tune from last week's 'sky's not falling in” to 'these extraordinary times”. Greerton Library will get $236,000 to update in view of the $8m project going on hold.

Rescue attempt fails
Murray had another go at saving this but was lost 10-1. There was dissension in Pick 6 ranks, with Hayden Evans saying Murray was ‘deluded'.
I asked for proactive sea lettuce collection on harbour beaches being used by public. Budget is only $10,000 and is to collect it after voluntary stockpiling by public. Staff will attend to this quickly, they promised.
At the end CEO Stephen Town said that Audit NZ would likely unfavourably tag this 10 year plan because it is unsustainable. Tough! We're unsustainable partly through past councils' misguided ‘wants, needs and deserves' mentality but also through past Government demands on local government. It will be interesting to see if central government will help out. My bet is on a new Tui ad.