Cr Bill Faulkner Faulkners Corner www.sunlive.co.nz

Following on from annual plan submissions, some elected members continued inspections of our city's stormwater woes last week.
Flooding has been getting worse at the problematic Mount industrial area of Maru Street, Triton Avenue and Portside Drive.
Stormwater control was badly planned and in simple terms: all water drains down one pipe which overflows (and is far too small in a downpour) that drains to the harbour.
A consultant's solution is estimated at about $84 million, but that is only for a one in 50 year downpour. This is a measure of rain volume over a certain time. It's possible to have one in 50 year downpours in one month, one week or one day! Staff have proposed what seems to be a sensible, practical, pragmatic approach to the problem which is estimated at less than 10 per cent of the $84 million fix at around $6.5 million. It is totally unacceptable to have businesses in our city flood regularly.
At the core of it
Three waters (drinking, waste and storm) are council's core business and an absolute rate expenditure priority and spending rates money on ‘nice to haves' means not enough has been done to alleviate past poor stormwater planning decisions. This week's photo demonstrates the problem and stands as a memorial to past council majority decisions to put social, cultural and other nice to haves ahead in the rates spend priorities. Incidentally, we were shown how ‘bow waves' from vehicles driving through floods made worse the damage. Many of the businesses are now unable to get flood/stormwater damage insurance.
Ripples of discontent
A round-up for a pound-up at a workshop with TCAL over the Otumoetai Swimming Pool. In a really dumb decision, council took over this pool from the school years ago. Why would the school divest itself of this ‘asset'? Three guesses! Plus the school retained usage rights from 9am to 3pm. Then the Otumoetai Swimming Club has five out of seven lanes during its chosen hours and the public gets what's left, but public usage is 55 per cent of income such as it is. Changing amenities there are a disgrace. Council voted money two years ago for an upgrade, but these were put on hold by pool operator Tauranga City Aquatics Ltd (TCAL) pending investigations of pool ‘infrastructure integrity'. Two years later and it seems the pool is good for another 10 years or so. School and swim club contractual arrangements, which are ‘loose', fizzle out in 2013.
I said that it shouldn't take two years to get basics sorted and asked for action within one month. I also said that Otumoetai residents should get exactly the same aquatic consideration and services enjoyed by the rest of the city.
The spectre of a Tauranga ‘West' aquatic facility was briefly discussed. It's unlikely even on a shared amenity basis (joint venture with Bethlehem College as an example) when you look at how much work council will have left to do at the end of ratepayer's money in the upcoming 10 year plan. (A novel idea that: a pool venture with a school.) Otumoetai Pool also needs around $150,000 on pool maintenance to keep it going so it looks like council, ratepayers and Otumoetai residents are going to have to put up with a very basic, but hopefully improved amenity for the foreseeable future.
Smarts solace in 60s music
A humbling experience for some with the opening of Youth Week in our city. Council set up a trivia quiz evening in the chambers: ‘Are you Smarter than a Councillor?'
I can report that most contestant teams are, but thankfully councillors (plus mayor) didn't come last and did beat the staff team. That's the good news. The bad news is that the councillors' team was soundly thrashed by the Merivale Community Centre team. I won't name the council team due to my sensitive nature, but Terry Molloy, Murray Guy, Catherine Stewart and David Stewart weren't there! New Zealand music was one of the councillors' downfall topics, but one question's answer, 10 guitars, produced a stirring rendition from the councillors of this 60s anthem. An offer for Larry Baldock to give a solo encore of ‘Khumbaya' was rejected.
Another question related to naming of things you could do at TECT Park and the Merivale team wanted to know if that had to be legal! Youth Week got off to a rousing start and it was great to see the positive side of our young people and contrary to some media portrayals they are normal people just like most people really are.
Airing ideas
The model aircraft site at TECT Park could move to a location adjacent to an ecological zone running through the park. This possibility is being reviewed. I have also submitted to Rotorua District Council on behalf of the TECT Park Committee requesting a $60,000 contribution to TECT Park operational expenditure to compliment Western Bay and Tauranga's annual $600,000 expenditure. No response as yet, but as the park borders on their boundary it seems not an unreasonable request.
This week's mindbender – Any time you have 50/50 chance of getting something right there is a 90 per cent