Tauranga city councillors rejected a mediation settlement made by their own staff yesterday, June 23, to proceed with a new water pipe across councillor Hayden Evans' land.

Progress on the pipeline between Ohauiti Road and Panorama Drive has been stalled for four years now and is also the reason for his rates arrears, says Hayden.
Before being voted onto council, Hayden says he had an agreement with the council that he would engineer the new pipeline.
When voted onto council Hayden told the Audit Department about the situation.
'I'm not going to have a competitor in the industry making a mess on my property,” says Hayden.
'They have dragged it out over five years.”
A sale fell through because the pipeline easement was never finalised, says Hayden.
It went to mediation where the settlement was presented for council approval yesterday.
Councillors approved Hayden being paid $3000 for the easement and $3500 in legal fees. They were not happy about Hayden also being paid $150 an hour to oversee the project as engineers' representative.
Engineering and project services manager Chris Olivier says the proposal is for Hayden to be employed part time for three hours a day, three days a week.
Councillors Mike Baker, David Stewart Wayne Moultrie and Bill Faulkner led the opposition. They say there is a conflict of interest for a full time councillor to take secondary employment.
Murray Guy took Hayden's side.
The council voted to accept the first part of the mediation allowing the easement, but asked for prices to be obtained for Hayden's job.
Hayden is now referring the matter to his solicitor.