People are now able to obtain their Tauranga City Council rates invoices by email. This is a significant advancement in efficiency for the council. People are able to receive their land rates and water rates invoices by signing up to the Rating Information Database on the council's website.

This information was supplied by the Tauranga City Council from its bulletin for the week beginning 24 August.

City Waters
Water Supply:
Work is substantially complete on the watermain upgrades in the area adjacent to the Harbour Link Project on the relocation of TCC water reticulation assets.
Pillans Watermain Upgrade - Work continues with pipes being connected up in Harbour Drive Kulim Avenue and Ngatai Road. Under road thrusting in Chapel Street still to happen at Maxwells Road.
Fire hydrant marking and servicing are continuing in the Otumoetai area and throughout the city over the coming year.
Council contactors City Care Ltd are substantially finished installing new water mains in Mansfield Street.
Work is substantially complete for the water main upgrade in Lydbrook Terrace.
The annual mains flushing programme will began on 18 August and will take approximately six weeks to complete, starting in the Greerton area and work towards the Avenues. Notices will be placed in local newspapers and on Council's website to notify areas affected.
Subsequently to the large emergency water outage at Maungatapu, additional water connection supplies are to be installed. Works to be commenced in the next month.

Drainage:
Four sewer problems to report this week:
A property connection to a sewer in Nicole Place reported to be blocked but this turned out to be a false call out as not fault found , sewer working fine.
A property connection to a manhole in Brackenburn Drive was found to have been damaged. This needed to be excavated to fix the broken pipe fitting.
In Totara street south a sewer pipe line was blocked with rag and rubble that required jetting to clear. A small sewer spill around a gully trap required cleaning up.
In Hamilton street the sewer connection to Cornerstone bar was thrust-damaged with new cable duct on Friday afternoon. The fault was able to be cleared and temporarily made operational. Final repair was made on Tuesday with reinstatement expected to be finished tomorrow (Thursday).
The Pollution Prevention team were called to one incident this week involving lime being discharged to stormwater from a vehicle wrecker on Maleme Street.
In Gloucester Road an internal patch repair is being installed to a sewer pipe. A local contractor using trenchless technology will start this on Monday. The sewer pipe has a hole in it so rather than excavate over three metres to fix it, the polyester cloth impregnated resin patch is being used. (It was rather unfortunate that a road did tomo over the weekend near the pipe fault so some seal reinstatement will need to be done.)
In Rosewood Lane a blocked stormwater pipe caused a joint failure which damaged the surface of a drive access. The blockage will be cleared tomorrow (Thursday) with high pressure jet and then will probably require some repair to the pipe joint once we can see the extent of the fault.
More reports of street sump grates being lifted and then dropped into the sumps. Last weekend five needed to be attended to, this week four so far.

City Projects
Work on Mauao base track continues. No track closures required to date.
Options for the location of new visitor facilities for McLaren Falls Park are currently being worked through.

Parks and Leisure
Work will start soon to make Ohauiti Reserve a safe open space for the local community. Initial work includes removal of shelterbelts along Ohauiti Road, new fencing, signage and removal of any remaining hazards still evident after removal of the kiwifruit orchard.
The work to remove and replace the street tree outside Starbucks on the Mount main street continues with three contractors working together to get the job done.
Spring has arrived at McLaren Falls Park: Lambs blossoms and the Magnolias. Also two new stairways up to Hamilton point from the lakeside track are finished.
Revegetation establishment sites for next autumn's planting have been selected and handed out to relevant contractors.

Transportation
Cameron Road: Routine maintenance and reconstruction work on Cameron Road between Pooles Road and Maleme Street is due to start in early September and run through to December 2009. More details to follow closer to the time.
Takitimu Drive: Routine maintenance and reconstruction of the next section of Takitimu Drive between the Elizabeth Street Roundabout and the Waihi Road over bridge will start in early September. More details to follow closer to the time.
Elizabeth Street: Work to replace a retaining wall on the footpath by St Mary's Catholic Church is underway. The work is expected to take about another few weeks to complete. At times the footpath by the wall will be closed to pedestrians. Pedestrians are reminded to take care and use the signed alternative routes to negotiate the Elizabeth Street and Cameron Road intersection. There will be minor delays to motorists for the duration of the works.

Events Tauranga
Baycourt Community and Arts Centre
Thurs 20 Aug to Sat 22 Aug - Tarnished Frocks and Divas - Baycourt Theatre
Tues 25 Aug to Fri 28 Aug - Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival - Baycourt Theatre

Ticket Office
Did you know? Approximately 75 % of local customers prefer to purchase their tickets at Baycourt across the counter, rather than by telephone or internet!

Democracy
Reconvened Strategy & Policy Committee - Monday 24 August 2009 (from meeting on Tuesday, 18 August).
Continuation of District Plan Review - Community Feedback and Issue Discussion (City Centre and City Living Zone).
Adoption of Mobile Shops Policy and Amendment to Commercial Activities on Reserve Land Policy
Draft Naming Policy

Kaituna River and Ongatoro / Maketu Estuary Strategy
District Plan Review - Community Feedback and Issue Discussion (Harbour Central Marine Precinct).

Monitoring Committee – Monday, 24 August at 1.00pm
1. Sport Bay of Plenty Relationship Agreement - Six Monthly Monitoring Report for Period 1 January to 30 June 2009
2. Chamber of Commerce Smart Economy Six Monthly Monitoring Report to 30 June 2009
3. Export NZ (BoP) Sister Cities Economic Outcomes Six Monthly Monitoring Report to 30 June 2009

Please note that Item 5 below (which includes a confidential section) will commence at 2.30pm.

4. Creative Tauranga Relationship Agreement - Six Monthly Monitoring Report 1 January to 30 June 2009
5. Presentation: Rotary Centennial Trust
6. Encroachment onto Coastal Reserve
7. Financial & Performance Monitoring Report for July 2009

Council – Public Forum - Tuesday, 25 August at 1.00pm
Mr Neil Wright will attend the meeting to speak regarding statutory interpretations.
Mr & Mrs Hurn will attend the meeting to speak regarding the land form damage at their property.

Petitions Received – Tree Trimming Marine Parade and Tree Removal Florida Key
Draft Unaudited Annual Report for 2008/09
Appointment of a Director to Tauranga City Aquatics Limited
Borrowing Programme 2009/10
Treasury Strategy: Treasury Activities
Tauranga Indoor Sport & Exhibition Centre – Satisfaction of Precursor to Tendering
Late Night Issues On and Near The Strand
Intermediate Housing Working Party
Lakes Development - Suggested Reserve Names
Amendments to the Schedules of the Traffic and Parking Bylaw 2007
Temporary Road Closures: City to Surf 2009; ASB Breast Cancer Fun Walk; Tauranga Moana Seafood Festival
Schedule of Documents Executed Under Seal
Tauranga Moana Heritage Trust - Annual Report