I attended a meeting in Tauranga on the evening of March 15, the subject of which was ‘consultation' on the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill with emphasis on how it would affect Maori.

The RMA and Amendment have far-reaching effects on the whole population and deserve a thorough airing by a meaningful section of the community.

I am angry and disgusted at the cynical way in which this meeting was organised.
Attendance, I guess, was between 50 and 60, a good number of whom represented Local Government. Tauranga and surrounds have an approximate population of 160,000.

This important ‘consultation' meeting was poorly advertised and with no explanation in the media, thus guaranteeing a limited attendance.

It was held in an expensive hotel, Trinity Wharf, with very little parking. Some attendees had to walk a considerable distance to access the meeting. It was timed between 6pm and 8pm when most had arrived home from work and were having their meal. It was quite obvious the organisers were not looking for a large audience and possible critique. It became perfectly clear Maori have their sights firmly on control and or ownership of the fresh water that we all require equally.

The outcome will be another layer of bureaucracy, higher cost and more delay with Resource Consent applications. I have no problem with anyone who is qualified and experienced sitting on these committees and making relevant decisions. There should be no room for race-based appointees filling seats with unqualified persons at ratepayers' expense.

Government is patently condoning this situation and aiding and abetting in the manipulation of these ‘consultation' meetings to limit attendance and criticism, otherwise there would be a control mechanism to ensure everyone understood and agreed the situation being planned.

I guarantee you very few citizens are aware of what is going on and why a sectional interest is likely to gain more control over the rest of us when it comes to one of our most vital requirements.

M Giles, Tauranga City