At a transportation taskforce meeting we had a progress update on some critical and not so critical projects, which are trying to cope with our traffic woes.

Attempting to speed up traffic fixes is sometimes like managing a drunken elephant – one step forwards – three steps sideways and two steps back. This is because the Tauranga City Council is not solely in control of its destiny.
Usually Transit is involved – now known as ‘The Agency' – but the headquarters is not Langley, Virginia, although some of their decisions are as mysterious!
For example, we were informed ‘The Agency' is undertaking a cost/benefit analysis of the Hairini Link project. This is normal procedure that is supposed to ensure proper priority ranking of projects; except this one is the result of a pre-election promise – a carrot by the National Government to entice Tauranga voters. It worked. Now the funding should be made available without delay, excuse and conditions. A cost benefit analysis might cost as much as $2 million for the $100 million estimate on Hairini Link.
The way I see it, the project's importance and priority is undisputed so an analysis appears to be a waste of money and an unnecessary delay, especially considering the whole thing was generated by an election promise.
I remember the outrageous waste of roading funds as one investigation after another and numerous reports on Route J in the 1980s appeared to serve no other purpose than to occupy government staff, consultants and put off the inevitable. The hallmarks of these delaying tactics are starting to show for the Hairini Link. I suggest bringing in Simon Bridges and Tony Ryall as two local MPs who no doubt benefited from this election promise.

Public transport challenges
Discussion over the proposed downtown bus terminal also became problematic with the new timetables introduced by the new service provider.
No one from the regional council (EBOP), which supplies funding for the service via regional council rates and profits from their shareholding in the port/holding company was present to answer questions. There are surveys being done on the preferred terminal site but no one has thought to actually get on board the buses and ask real passengers.
Retailers are having a big say – some don't want diesel fumes for instance – but I would have thought user-friendliness would have been the priority.
Things like shelter from the prevailing south-west wind and rain, buses on time, routes that suit customers, bus lanes (Hairini!). If the system is to justify the huge resource being ploughed in, EBOP needs to get much wider public usage now. To do this EBOP has to do what users want. It's bums on seats on buses – otherwise we may as well do what is done elsewhere, where public transport has failed, and tip the funding into more roads.
In answer to the greenies who will argue what happens if and when cars are redundant – the city will have really wide bike and horse tracks!

Hangar hang-up
At the airport committee we heard a request to build more private hangars on a site near to the Gliding Club operation. The airport business plan shows any new hangar development at the eastern end of the aerodrome and after some discussion the request was declined and we will stick with the master plan.
Airport financials show the year's revenue to June 30 at $4.2 million, expenditure $2.5 million and capital expenditure $875,000. The airport runs with nil ratepayer contribution and all surpluses are ploughed back into development of the facility and debt repayment. As I've said before, this operation is a shining example of how all council associated services should be run.
The meetings are held in Classic Flyers Museum/Café – another great facility privately run with no ratepayer contribution even asked for. A blueprint for other museums – assisted by volunteers, interesting, always changing and self funding – it's definitely worth a visit.
Also, there will be another air show at the airport over Waitangi weekend next year. Organisers are planning for a large turnout so put that in your things-to-do plan.

Councillor salaries
Journalists continue to be conspicuous by their absence from city council meetings and the usual headlines and accompanying photos on the annual round of elected members remuneration have consequently been missing. Could this be because the salary pool remained unaltered, except for the Mayor who got the princely increase of $271? Some of us got a decrease – and others an increase to cover extra meetings involved in district plan review hearings.
As I reported earlier this year, workloads are spread unevenly anyway. That's just the way things are. I enjoy what I do. I am interested in it and believe I am making a difference to our city and community and I'm fortunate to be paid for it.
For the record, no headlines or photos attached, here are the individual salaries. Rick Curach $68,678, Catherine Stewart $68,678, Bill Grainger $68,378, Hayden Evans $68,678, Greg Brownless $72,487, Wayne Moultrie $72,187, Mike Baker $72,487, Murray Guy $77,734, Bill Faulkner $77,734, David Stewart $83,931, Stuart Crosby $109,785. Stuart gets a car and the rest are eligible for mileage and some other expenses (all audited!).
Comparisons are odious but the CEO salary is $400,000 and many senior staff receive over $100,000. The elected members' salary pool is decided by government and is reduced by 25 per cent for the public good/service factor, which mainstream media don't report.
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