The timing of a Tauranga City Council growth risks report, citing cross border issues at Tauriko, is purely co-incidental and has 'nothing to do with Bob Clarkson's land and SmartGrowth”.

Finance and Risk Committee deputy chair Gail McIntosh.

Councillor and finance and risk committee deputy chair Gail McIntosh insists work on the report has been ongoing for the last 12 months, and has taken a year to produce largely because of limited staff resources.

A first draft was produced three months ago, and the final report will be presented on Tuesday.

'This has been building up and building up, and has nothing to do with Bob Clarkson's land and SmartGrowth - Total coincidence,” says Gail. 'This is just an idea whose time has come to report.”

SmartGrowth, Bob Clarkson's land and cross border issues were discussed by the council on Monday when they voted for staff to look at accelerating the development processes at Tauriko.

The growth risks report recognises the Tauriko issues as high based on the likelihood of them occurring and the potential consequence if they do occur.

They include an inability to progress cross-boundary growth issues with Western Bay of Plenty District Council, because most of the sub-region's capacity for future greenfield development lies in the Western Bay.

Also covered is the ability to work through issues affecting both councils, which is seen as critical to successfully managing future growth demands.

Other risk factors include central government processes requiring the council to release more land for development and the servicing of that land, as is happening with the housing accord Special Housing Areas.

Roading requirements, in particular access to the state highway network, are fundamental to greenfields development. Ensuring that NZTA's funding commitments align with local growth planning and needs is therefore critical.

Cross border issues have been at Tauriko since The Lakes started, says Gail. Some of the area was in the Western Bay of Plenty, but Tauranga City provided the infrastructure and services.

'We have to physically provide the services, wastewater and stuff because they don't have connections going back down to the lakes,” says Gail.

'There were invoices going back and forth,” she adds. 'We provided the services and they billed those people, eventually.

'It's putting in writing what's always been there. That it is a risk we don't want, yet we have provided pipes for them etc.

'We have to work with them anyway regardless of where the local body boundaries are. We act seamless, although in legislation we stop at a certain point. We had to carry on and still provide services. Each new development out there - some of it's in there's, some in ours.