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

Council had a secret meeting last week. Elected members didn't plan it that way, but that's how it turned out.

A joint meeting of TCC, Western BOP District Council and the BOP Regional Council met with local iwi and the Office of Treaty Settlements (OTS) for what was billed as an update on Treaty Settlement negotiations.

After a bit of preamble, the OTS asked for the public to be excluded.

This happened even though there was only one member of the public present and from where I sat the gathering had all the format of a ‘workshop for information'.

A lawyer from the OTS rambled on at length about the Treaty, how the settlement was being done and how local government would be involved.

It mainly focused on ‘co-governance' and ‘co-management' of natural assets.

There was no detail, no nitty gritty and no reason that I could discern that required exclusion of the public.

Obviously all Tauranga City Council elected members agreed because when the record of the meeting came to council this week the item was moved into the open section unanimously, with the exception of a letter from OTS and the only reason it was left ‘confidential' was because it was their letter.

There didn't appear to be anything of a confidential nature in it.

We all spoke saying that the community at large needed to be involved in the whole process right from the beginning.

A much better process that engaged with everyone was required; not a process done behind closed doors and then present a fait accompli.

It seems that current process is to negotiate with iwi and consult ‘to' the rest of us. Comments were made that the Crown was dealing to the community in 2011 in much the same methodology it dealt to Maori in the 1860s.

From what I gleaned from the OTS lawyer, local government is expected to join in, co-governance and co-management to iwi with no details of how or who would pay.

Drawing a lesson from the Auckland model it is probably by government appointments and will cost ratepayers.

Whatever happens, it won't be good news for cash strapped councils and their hapless ratepayers.

Smartgrowth, time for review

Another item at full council was Smartgrowth. Council declined a staff request for another $15,000 to be added to budget item of $114,000.

Some of us expressed disquiet and said it was time to review Smartgrowth meaning, format and purpose.

Mayor Stuart Crosby agreed and said that that was on the agenda.

David Stewart seized on his hobbyhorse – local council amalgamation. To cut to the chase the facts are that it will only happen at central governments decree.

Look out David. Your wish may come true, but not the way you want.

Government may steal our water supply, appoint ‘chosen people' to council and further pillage and plunder ratepayers.

You get the picture – sale of ‘public' assets! Mount Maunganui stormwater problems around Portside Drive/Te Maire Street solutions were tabled and cost $54.174 million over a 10 year timetable. This has to be done. This is one of council's true functions.

Bringing balance to council news

After 10 years writing this column the editor suggested there might be some interest on what's gone on in the background. It was an idea born out of a discussion between Brian Rogers (editor) and me at the time of the 2001 council elections.

Brian and Claire had just started The Weekend Sun and I was in the office arranging some election advertising.

I commented to Brian on what I perceived to be skewed, negative, selective, biased and sometimes incorrect reporting by the Bay Times in their coverage of council business.

'Why don't you do a column then, about what's really going on at council?” Brian asked. 'Put some balance into it!”

One classic example from years ago was a prominent story in the Bay Times featuring an unflattering photo of me (not difficult!) and a most uncomplimentary story about my alleged contribution to the council committee meeting.

Only problem was, I wasn't at the meeting and was not a member of that committee.

I rang the then editor and asked for a retraction and apology. (Newspapers don't like doing that!)

He laughed and told me if I didn't like it I could write a letter to the editor which he said he might publish.

I tried to reason with him, but he stood firm telling me today's news was tomorrow's fish and chip wrapping.

He could say that because at the time there was no competition.

I didn't give up and continued the discussion until he told me that the conversation was at an end 'because if you had been at the meeting that's what you would have said”. And he hung up.

Bustling past the bullies

I've been threatened with legal action over individual items in the column and in one instance if I didn't stop it altogether. Wow – was it that effective?

Other attempts to stop it from some elected members over the years, who said it was ‘unfair' and ‘full of BS', failed.

One elected member wanted councillors to have the right to edit the column before publication. That one was a dozer!

Their answer is The Weekend Sun has always published anything from anyone written about council that wasn't defamatory.

To this day The Weekend Sun advertising is affected to some degree because of the ongoing publication of this column.

They win some and lose some – and that's the effect of maintaining freedom of speech in NZ in the 21^st Century.

No-one thought I'd keep it going. (That's part of the challenge!) I handwrite it and then Julie at The Weekend Sun deciphers my writing onto a word processor.

I run it by an independent critic, mainly for unintended double meanings, innuendo and items that are not clear.

The outcome is my view of what's really going on at City Hall to give you an insight and another perspective.

I try very hard to get it right – after all there are 10 proof readers (the other elected members).

I really enjoy this aspect of my council work and from comments I get it seems well received by many in the community.

It will continue, unedited, for as long as I'm able and The Weekend Sun prints it.

Merry Christmas

We are fortunate to have The Weekend Sun to put a positive balance into how our region is portrayed. So that's it for another year – a Merry Christmas and prosperous new year to you all.

Thanks for your comments, feedback and support, this column will return after the council recess at the end of January.

This week's mindbender – particularly relative to council and government: ‘Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence, he is just using his memory.' – Leonardo de Vinci.