Returning from overseas and quickly reviewing The Weekend Sun issues I missed, on p10 of the Friday, August 16 issue the headline of Faulkner's Corner reads: 'The real cost of council's legal bills” and I quote: 'and the top bill in 2011 went to Simpson Grierson at $5,270,407”.
How much, I ask, was charged for the two appearances last year of an Auckland Simpson Grierson lawyer at the pre-hearings and the two-day appearance of three other SG Auckland lawyers at Robyn Rimmer, my and two other's case against the Tauranga City Council regarding their non-consultation and non-notification of the recently discovered 15 metre building prohibition on our harbourside properties placed many years prior.
The Environment Court judge at the outset said he did not know why we were bringing this case, as TCC had no obligation to consult with or inform us directly on such an issue, as we were not Tongueeeahtarfenuah; and it was up to the 1200 property owners affected to somehow (he didn't specify how) find out themselves about this property imposition.
The judge implied our case was frivolous and inferred we could be up for costs.
Needless to say the three-man lawyer team from Auckland's Simpson Grierson rang rings around us for two whole days - we were too terrified to say anything.
Moreover, to this very day we do not know when and how this 15 metre covenant on our properties took place; and unless we pay TCC $400 they will not tell us.
So councilor Bill, Mayor, Deputy David, Mr CEO, staff and planners, and all other councillors currently running for re-election, how much did Auckland's Simpson Grierson charge us Tauranga ratepayers for the two pre-hearings and two-day Environment Court session last year?
Remember, in 2011, according to Cr Bill, this one Auckland law firm alone charged us Tauranga ratepayers a whopping great five and a quarter million bucks.

Hylton Rhodes, Tauranga City.