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

No matter how many times it is said – don't always believe what you read – particularly the internet and especially newspapers, it always needs repeating. Except, of course, everything in The Weekend Sun including Rogers Rabbits!

This week there was a prominent item in the daily newspaper detailing CEOs' pay across the country. This information is, by law, public information. The article featured a prominent headline, to attract attention presumably, listed the CEOs by name and company/council name and the amount they are (allegedly) paid. Buried in the story was a disclaimer to cover the newspaper's backsides if the information was wrong.

Verifying facts

In the case of Tauranga City Council they got it stunningly wrong. The CEO pay was listed at around $400,000 per annum. In fact it is $320,000 per annum. Around 30% less than the sensationalised story reported. And all it would have taken was one phone call to verify the correct amount. A casual observation showed other reported pay rates that didn't look right either. Accuracy and journalism seem to have parted ways as some businesses succumb to the need to procure the almighty dollar profit. Cut costs, sensationalise, feature the bad news and sell more papers seems to be the modern day news trend.

At Wastewater Management Review Committee (which incidentally the daily media didn't attend) elected members were updated on the state of our city's wastewater. In simple terms it's excellent. One of the lowest wastewater overflow rates in Australasia on a per 100km of pipe comparison rate. It was interesting to hear about odour monitoring. Someone asked how odours were monitored and we were told our officer has an officially approved nose! True! Odours are very subjective and it depends a lot on surrounding conditions on the day as to how offensive they can be.

Wake-up call

It was a wake-up call for the committee to learn that Wastewater had to fund a $30-$40,000 consultant to get a resource consent together with design to repair and fill in the hole created by emergency repairs to the blow out of the Ocean Outfall (1km out to sea) pipe base in the Papamoa sand dunes. Plus a retrospective consent for the emergency repairs. Officers across the various Councils agreed this is nonsense but still the consents and expense are required by law, we were told. And this government promised nonsense like this would be stopped. Repairs to the base of the Ocean outfall consequent to the blowout are estimated at $350 - $400,000. Ultra violet treatment to the wastewater discharge at the outfall will be in place by January. This kills any lurgies left once the wastewater leaves the wetlands after processing.

New proposals

At Projects and Monitoring elected members approved a new proposal for a public private partnership to 'explore what opportunities may exist” for the development of the Greerton Library and adjacent land. In simple terms ratepayers/Council put up the land and what else, for the private sector to build and pay for it. This is a good initiative provided it has a win/win outcome for the duration of the partnership. New building consents are up significantly but only due to the Ryman Health Development at Bethlehem. Growth in the city over the past year is variously reported at 0.5 – 0.75%.

BOPLASS – Bay of Plenty Local Authority Shared Services – a consortium of BOP Councils to procure services at reduced cost by bulk buying is an unheralded (by the media) success story. It reportedly saves Tauranga's ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. We were told all the easier opportunities or low hanging fruit had been picked and it is time to get into the harder bits. Patch protection by member councils (or self preservation) may reduce the speed of progress into the future we were informed. Local Government consolidation may overcome this potential block and the reforms, when they are decided, may dovetail into the BOPLASS model. As might Smartgrowth.

Smart-growth

We had an updated of Smartgrowth and a proposed review. We've been four years into the economic downturn and Council are still using outdated information decimated by the downturn, Christchurch earthquake, Rena, no up to date census info and other effects never anticipated when Smartgrowth was developed. The review is due to be completed in June next year. The speed of light in planning parlance apparently.

Another 37 minutes deliberation on the fate of an Agonis tree in The Drive, Otumoetai. A petition signed by three ratepayers sought its removal. We were told that after discussion between staff and the petition organiser he had changed his mind and accepted Council's offer to maintain and manage the problems caused by the tree. The vote went 5-5 with Chairman of Strategy and Policy Committee, David Stewart, using his casting vote to retain the tree. It would be good if all financial issues received the same time allocation and enthusiasm.

Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) a consortium of Council's throughout NZ to arrange, borrow and lend money to Local Government is now up and running. Our treasury reported 18 Councils as shareholders and expecting 46 councils ultimately. That's if there are 46 councils left after 'reforms”. Tauranga is re-financing $50 million loans in the near future and this initiative is showing a nett saving of .15 basis points.

TECT Arena got approval for some $400,000 to finish it off. This money comes out of expenditure savings during the building and adds to the around $39.6 million capital cost. Items include a scissor lift, carpet tiles, air conditioning in the foyer. I questioned why some of this was deleted and was told it was to make sure that the project came in under the $41 million budget ceiling. At last this was done. Historically with some other projects the money was spent regardless and ratepayers were presented with a budget blowout.

This week's mindbender from Will Rogers – everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects.