Cost blow-out on Mauao slips

One of the $2.2 million slips

Tauranga city councilors are scratching around to find funding to repair slips around the Mauao base track with one estimate putting the cost of repairs as high as $2.2 million.

"One of the highlights of the Annual Plan Deliberations was the success of a motion to consider ‘Crowd Funding' to help fund the significant costs of repairing the base track of Mauao,” says city councillor Leanne Brown in a post.

' ... we were only informed at the Mauao Joint Board Committee on Tuesday that it could be as high as $2.2million. Whilst we've yet to make a decision on permanent repair options, we know it'll be a big number.”

Leanne and councillor Steve Morris put together a recommendation for council staff to seek other funding opportunities from the regional council and central government.

'Mauao is a place where people come from New Zealand wide and even from overseas to walk around, so we thought it would be nice to get some assistance from those areas,” says Mayor Greg Brownless, speaking afterwards.

A short term solution of temporary wooden steps up and over the damaged portion will be in place in the coming months, says Leanne. This won't cater for pushchairs, but it'll at least open up the circuit again.

Council staff have also been directed to see if legislation permits the city council to crowd fund through givealittle.

The city council's parks and recreation manager Mark Smith says council staff are still looking at options for reinstating the track.

'At present we haven't decided on an option so we don't know what it may cost – we're working through this now.

'The engineers who have looked at the site came back with several ways we could reinstate it. We're looking for a long-term solution that reduces risk around the vulnerable slopes near the slip site that aren't part of the slip itself. We also need to ensure that it doesn't have a significant negative impact on historical site. This is a challenge in that particular area of Mauao.”

He says they will know more in a week of two, and have more information about the timeline for temporary access.

The base track has been closed since April when a large slip took out a section of the base track on the southern side of Mauao.

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30 comments

mount track

Posted on 10-06-2017 08:16 | By dumbkof2

if something is owned by someone any repairs that need doing are done by the owners. no one else


Ooh ouch

Posted on 10-06-2017 09:27 | By overit

Take the money from the museum fund.


How slack

Posted on 10-06-2017 09:35 | By peecee09

Almost 2 months post slip and you are still pondering? Unbelievable! Givealittle? Unbelievable! Pull your finger out Council this is making you look so stupid and so lacking in decisive leadership you may well even become a joke if you haven't already.


@ dumbkof2

Posted on 10-06-2017 09:44 | By Accountable

You are so right. The present owners were desperate to take possession and now it's up to them to put their money where their mouths are. But they are not that stupid and would no doubt be more than happy to leave it as it is if they were asked to contribute.Tolling the users of the Mount would be the fairest form of paying for damage such as we are seeing now and we are being continually told by Council that they are wanting to make the user pay for as much as they can squeeze out of people, for example parking and buses ,so why not the Mount?


backlash

Posted on 10-06-2017 10:42 | By Gigilo

Aye dumbkof2 you are totally correct. I think ownership was rolled out as a hard fought victory. I have a feeling it will be like that tree hanging over the back fence, once you have trimmed it and made it look tidy and safe it is your responsibility for life. The owners must have lost their voice.


@Dumbkof2

Posted on 10-06-2017 11:00 | By Colleen Spiro

Well I guess the owners have let everyone wander their back yard for free for too long then....they need to start charging....maybe metres, charged by the half hour, prams extra, etc....CRIKEY, now that would not go down too well would it.


The track

Posted on 10-06-2017 11:11 | By surfsup

Perhaps the council could take some of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ they intend to spend on themselves in their new building and put it towards something they will be of benefit to the hardworking ratepayers.


Sack them and encourage donations

Posted on 10-06-2017 11:46 | By Murray.Guy

Typical bureaucratic arse covering, rate spending BS milked by consultants with the blessing of unaccountable ocompetant Councillors. Any earthworks contractor would likely apply commonsense, cut and compact with Wii volunteer supervision, make safe and functional in a week. I suspect it may be the joint IWI/TCC seat warmers that are the problem. Install electronic DONATION facilities to assist user pays.


Let them get on with it

Posted on 10-06-2017 13:00 | By Papamoaner

Sometimes it's better to re-route collapsed bush tracks, but I imagine they're already addressing that. Best of luck with the repair. This is a significant public facility that benefits the whole community.


Owned by Maori - we pay !!

Posted on 10-06-2017 13:07 | By Mackka

Mauao is a historic reserve owned by Maori and managed by Tauranga City Council.Ratepayers sure got a bum deal there!! WHY? Ask the Maori owners to front up with the money for the repairs to THEIR mountain.


@Dumbkopf

Posted on 10-06-2017 13:09 | By morepork

That thought crossed my mind, also. However, there are some special conditions in place. For example, free access has been guaranteed in perpetuity. If Iwi cannot charge for access, it seems a bit unfair to expect them to stump up for repairs. What would be fair and reasonable would be for the current "owners" to make a contribution (maybe out of Waitangi Settlement funds?) as a gesture of goodwill and support, to help Council do the job. It wouldn't need to be a large amount; if crowdfunding is being considered, then every little bit helps. For myself, if they establish a crowd funding site for this, I'll gladly contribute, as I enjoy my walks round the Mount.


Query!

Posted on 10-06-2017 13:11 | By rastus

dumbkof2 touches on an interesting point - I too was under the impression that the Mount had been given back to the local Iwi - surely it is their job to maintain it - or has just been given back in name only - just asking!


Mount track.

Posted on 10-06-2017 14:11 | By Age

$2.2 Million to fix a few slips , what a rip off .A bobcat could fix the lot ,where the hell do they get there prices from .Who ever they use must be laughing.


Mauao

Posted on 10-06-2017 14:42 | By PaulM

How much will the owners of the Mount contribute - is it not their mountain ?Nah - once again the Ratepayers.


Crowd funding ? bah , stupid bunkum.

Posted on 10-06-2017 16:37 | By CC8

All this council knows how to do is call consultants and employ the consultant's mates to install the MOST EXPENSIVE repair solution that they can think off. I am willing to bet that a bunch of Tauranga based fencing and building companies could come up with a better and cheaper solution and armed with manpower and material donations and a volunteer community workforce it would all be back better than before in no time flat. In fact before the council staff could even organise their (ex staff member) consultant mates. Ask the iwi and hapu who claimed the mountain . Whatever, come up with a positive way forward and stop whining in the media.


here we go again

Posted on 10-06-2017 16:38 | By old trucker

The people who TCC gave that hill back to you know who should pay for it,ALL these so called council (no hopers) all trying to figure something out,LET THE OWNERS fix it up NOTHING TO DO WITH TCC ,i believe,why should givealittle help,who said it could cost $2 million,(YEAH RIGHT, my Thoughts just keep digging back further and the whole hill WILL SLIDE DOWN,looks like its GOING TO COST this much,my SOLUTION Charge everybody $20 to walk around to pay it, its not worth fixing,(AGAIN (this will go to a BUDDIE to fix,just leave it,and walk single file,notice the guy in picture with hands in pocket,well now we will go back to the office and have a FREE lunch and have a meeting and BRAIN storm ideas,(OH)thats right you need one of those,and NONE of them have one,and so the CIRCUS will carry on,all the (CONS) Sunlive Thankyou 10-4out.


2.2mio

Posted on 10-06-2017 18:19 | By begesch

It's for tourists too, isn't it. After Tourism Bay of Plenty spent 2.5 Mio to change their beautiful logo to a smiley - is that right, A SMILEY" - as quietly as possible, and I can't remember how many millions for the new iSite, why not charge it to their account???? Or deduct it form the astronomical amount for the iSite.


2.2 Million

Posted on 10-06-2017 21:12 | By M. Mouse

2.2 million is a descent quote some one will be celebrating after that. Any way my car needs a service can I get council to give me some money for this please its a European 6 cylinder they like goggling money over and over and over again ;-)


Mount track

Posted on 11-06-2017 04:34 | By cliveL

Well here's an idea . Instead of spending a stupid sum on the walk/cycle bridge across the Wiaroa river use some of it to fix the base Track. But please get on with it and stop playing around like a bunch of old washer women. Shouldn't take more than a few days to put in a temporary retaining wall with back fill whist a permanent fix is developed.What ever happened to the NZ can do attitude.


mount track

Posted on 11-06-2017 10:57 | By phoenix

CliveL, You insult old washer women.


Typical

Posted on 11-06-2017 13:21 | By kinakat

Just knew some uninformed,uneducated moron would start making pathetic comment's regarding The owners of Mauao.You still don't understand what context ownership means do you!.Just typical attitude from people who think they know?Everything. It's as clear as the earth slipping down our Mauao you should just learn the history of Tauranga at least before making your comments.


Greed

Posted on 11-06-2017 18:39 | By Mountie888

How about naming and shaming the rip. Off merchant who submitted that quote.. Why do people think its acceptable to triple a quote for a govt job... Greedy b


This rings a bell

Posted on 11-06-2017 20:46 | By Papamoaner

Not all that long ago that tramping tracks in the NZ mountains and forests were maintained and repaired by working bees from a mixture of clubs. If machinery was needed, the NZ Forest service stepped in. Huts were owned by tramping clubs and maintained by them and their helpers of which there were many, especially since jobs invariably meant a big piss-up at the finish. Everybody packed their own grog in and packed their own rubbish back out. What wonderful cameraderie days those were. Then along came Roger Douglas the big SIR Roger, and the rest you all know. Now we have come to this! (again). How did we lose our dignity? We should all roll our sleeves up and show the buggers how it's done instead of whinging like this. Forget about who owns the hill.


Get on with it

Posted on 11-06-2017 23:30 | By Captain Hottie

Sadly it's our only tourist attraction so best fix it ASAP. Maybe levy cruise ship operators as their passengers seem to be the ones to use it, but only cos there is sweet FA else to do. If this isn't a wake-up call for the council and tourism board to get a museum/zoo/aquarium/roller coaster/waxworks/movie studio (pick your fave), then what is?


@Captain Hottie

Posted on 12-06-2017 20:19 | By Papamoaner

You pretty much said it all. The best we can do is to keep chipping away at theses forums in the hope of turning folk around to common sense thinking. Might not sound like much of an influence, but I reckon for every commentor on these forums, there will be 10 passive observers who don't partake, but go away thinking. Makes it worth the effort. Tauranga has huge unique potential where ships can tie up with a short walk to the mount. Also a short walk to the proposed museum on Cliff road if we can build a berthing wharf over there near the bridge. As for the Mount track - if it's too difficult, just re-route it. Best not to procrastinate. Good on you for your objective comment. Every bit of encouragement helps.


Capt.Hottie & Papamoaner

Posted on 13-06-2017 13:19 | By Bop man

If you do not like this area and find nothing to do here please feel free to Move. As for the base track I am sure with another mil or 2 they will fix it.....


Cap Hottie

Posted on 13-06-2017 18:50 | By MISS ADVENTURE

You say "levy cruise ship operators" I am sure that has about as much logic as Auckland where they are levying hotel beds for tourist related costs. It is nothing really to do with tourists, and in fact not even locals. Best tax the weather, in fact climate changes as the reason and cause. Go get teh money from there. Also TBOP are alleady miliking mega money from shipping lines, operattors and any other unfortunate that accidently gets noticed to self fund and self expand in a wasteful manner.


@BOPMan

Posted on 13-06-2017 19:13 | By Papamoaner

I think you misunderstood something and went off half cocked there old chap. I Love this place. Was just making a few points - mainly that track repairs don't have to be complicated - re-routing the hairy bit should not be difficult, and a lot cheaper. I don't presume to speak for Capt Hottie, but that's my tuppence worth.


Bill the Churches...

Posted on 14-06-2017 14:08 | By morepork

The slips resulted from an "Act of God". Billing all the Churches in Tauranga makes as much sense as billing tourists who may have never even been here before, or Iwi, who are not allowed to charge for public access to it. The FACT is that it needs to be fixed and if it costs more than expected, then that's bad luck. We have checks and balances on public spending and if anyone is rorting the system it will be discovered. Just get on and do it.


Now there's a thought !

Posted on 18-06-2017 13:16 | By Papamoaner

Billy Connelley sued god and got away with it, so why not? Especially since it's a sacred mountain.


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