Adopting the Tauranga City Council Annual Plan nearly tripped over a last-minute discussion on how to portray the city's relationship with the Treaty of Waitangi negotiations process.

TCC councillor Gail McIntosh wants the wording of the Mayor's statement welcoming ratepayers to the report changed because it implies the city council is involved in the Treaty negotiations – which is a Crown process.

Tauranga City Council.

'I don't think it's accurate to infer that Tauranga City Council are in fact settling treaty claims,” says Gail at TCC's Finance and Risk committee last Tuesday.

The wording she objects to is in the Mayor's welcome to the annual report.

'After the battle large tracts of land were confiscated and this forms part of the treaty claims, which are now being addressed.”

It's giving people the impression the council is settling treaty claims when that is not a council or ratepayer responsibility, says Gail.

Fellow TCC councillor Clayton Mitchell supported Gail, saying the wording could be tidied up a bit and made more exact.

But Mayor Stuart Crosby opposed the motion, saying the council is actually involved in the treaty settlements process.

The council has been involved, sitting in on discussions during three or four settlements, says Stuart.

'There's a meeting today about the Kaituna, and another treaty settlement discussion or meeting coming up where Tauranga Harbour is involved.

'We are involved whether we like it or not,” says Stuart.

On the suggestion of committee chairman John Robson, the wording was changed with the words 'by Central Government” added to the end of the sentence.

The draft annual report was recommended for adoption by the council at its meeting on September 22.