The TCC proposed urban development of the Te Tumu block, is a waste of taxpayers' money. There is no need for the coast to be built up from Mauao to Maketu; this last remaining greenfield beachfront block needs to be preserved, not converted to a built-up area.

The land is a narrow coastal strip, bounded by the ocean and the Kaituna River. Urbanising this represents an ongoing liability for the council and taxpayers as the Kaituna floods from both the catchment and predicted ocean sea level rise.

The largest inner-city park in the world is Kings Park in Perth, Australia, at 406ha. This is the most popular visitor destination in Western Australia and attracts five million visitors each year. Te Tumu is 1.8 times this size. The ongoing income a world class park would generate from upmarket cultural and eco-tourism would be of far greater benefit to the local community than the proposed caravan park.

TCC needs to be working with WBCC to develop infrastructure at the existing BOP settlements at Maketu, Welcome Bay and Katikati before embarking on a greenfields infrastructure project wasting multi-million dollars of public money.

R Clifford, Papamoa.