I must say I had a real chuckle when I read the 6th July Sun and Mayor Stuart Crosby crowing about all the good work that has been achieved in the reduction of development/building impact fees and housing permit costs through the council and planning process.
It was his council's actions some three to four years ago who through thinking developers and house builders were making fortunes from the process of site development and onto the building activities made 30-50% increase in charges overnight. I wonder if those same persons who are sitting in their nice cosy offices downtown Tauranga and dreamed up the concept of 'milking” the above people and companies for maximum gain are going to take pay cuts to sit parallel to the reduced income going into council coffers?
'Dream on Geoff.”
Most of those, if not all of those, council staff do not know what it is like to be in the real world - they have either never been there or if they have failed to make a 'go” of it. But they think they can 'milk” the real people out there by increasing unjustifiable charges to keep their jobs secure.
How wrong they were.
Sorry Mayor Crosby - it should be an apology from you to those you have unjustifiably ripped of over the last three years through those outrageous increase charges - get productivity going within your office - get the work rate up, show some business acumen and create an office that I want to come back and do business with again.
When the truth be known three years ago Mr Nice Guy (that's you) got it wrong and now that same Mr Nice Guy wants all the credit to 'right a wrong”.

G Mathis, Mount Maunganui.