When Tauranga City Council's recent City Plan was unveiled, many freeholders learnt for the first time that back in 1997 Council had taken away their unencumbered freehold over that part of their property lying within 15 metres of Mean High Water Springs.

The idea that something legally owned could be taken away by Council without affected parties knowing anything about it seems unreasonable and undemocratic. I and my community therefore submitted at the Ten Year Plan hearings that this 1997 confiscation of freehold rights without effective consultation and notification was invalid. Unfortunately this concern appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

Since then both Mayor Crosby and senior planners have indicated that they too are not prepared to discuss this issue. Consequently I have been forced to lodge an appeal to the Environment Court and in this I have strong support from similarly disaffected members of the Welcome Bay and Waimapu estuaryside communities. In contrast to Council's position, a government Minister has opined that the quality of consultation is a vital component of local body democracy and has suggested we refer this issue to the Ombudsman. If you have owned property lying within 15 metres of water from before 1997 and would like to comment on your experience of the 1997 'consultation”, feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Robin Rimmer, Tauranga.