The recipients of the donated $1 million Mediterranean Shipping Company's Rena Recovery Fund have been announced recently. The main beneficiaries are the residents of Motiti Island, receiving some $366,000, working out at some $13,500 each for the 27 residents; this is according to Census figures.
But wait there's more. The residents of Motiti Island are being offered a cellphone tower, sealed road, barge landing and a 10 metre piled wharf if they agree to leaving the grounded cargo ship Rena on Astrolabe Reef.
It seems extraordinary that 27 people can extract bribes of this magnitude.
Are their views more important than the rest of Tauranga? So what's on offer for us? Paying off Route K would be an excellent idea. Then there's the $11 million Limitation Fund, which has been set up to compensate business owners for provable losses.
Recent news articles have stated 'large compensation claims are also expected to be lodged by Maori hapu and iwi for the outpouring of effort”.
Is 'outpouring effort” a different kind of effort to that of the 9000 people who helped clean up the beaches during the crisis, thus the need for 'large compensation”.
Are the 9000 people being offered any compensation? Well no. But then their efforts weren't 'outpouring”.
It would be nice to think all members of our community would be prepared to contribute without the need for reward. And if there is some reward, then all would share in it.
Lotto win for iwi? Then this is Big Wednesday.

R Prince, Welcome Bay.