As a submitter I attended the Tauranga City Council meeting [September 10] which frankly turned into a shambles.

The question of 11 Mission Street, which has nothing to do with race, is in itself simple – it is about the relationship between the Tauranga City Council and TCC Ratepayers.

Ratepayer money ($825,000) was used to buy 11 Mission Street and the people were told why. The Mayor of the day Stuart Crosby is quite clear, the intent was that 11 Mission Street was purchased to form part of The Elms estate.

This has nothing to do with the history but everything about that intention and council keeping its promise to transfer the property to The Elms.

There are three things you should never break; promises, trust, and someone's heart.

Notwithstanding this, council reached a decision that broke all three. After some ado and confusion it voted 6 to 5 to give 11 Mission Street to the Otamataha Trust, subject to the consent of The Elms Foundation.

As for the last minute O'Malley report, Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash) puts it best –'This is how history is done now. People wait until they have a need for some history and then they customise it to suit their purposes”.

Richard Prince, Welcome Bay