Last week, Western Bay of Plenty councillors were fortunate to be invited to join Tauranga City councillors visit to the area where TCC will access the water supply for the city's future needs. John Scrimgeor and I were the two who went from Western BOP.

The professional staff who accompanied us to see the Waiari River were experts in their field.

We also visited the excellent sewerage scheme at Te Maunga which is such an asset for the city and its future needs.

One could say we were meeting in secret, but that would be very stupid to suggest.
Councillors need to understand the assets they are responsible for today, and the planning required to ensure the city's needs will be able to be met in future.

No business would make decisions without knowing the detail and the facts.

Councillors are no different; our ratepayers and residents should expect nothing less.
It's worth remembering that when the Local Government law was changed back in 1989 it included the responsibility for councils to hold meetings and also to hold workshops.

No decision can be made at a workshop but it helps councillors and staff to understand fully the issues that have to be understood. They are not secret meetings they are genuine workshops which are today an essential part of the local government process.

When a committee or council meeting is held, each meeting has a public participation time at the start; any member of the public can bring an issue to council at that time.
The submitter can speak for up to 10 minutes; - councillors cannot express opinions at this time but they can ask questions of the submitter.

No decisions can be taken; the issue is referred to staff and is reported back to the appropriate committee for councillors to decide. Once again this process is a legal requirement.

So I find it hard to follow the argument being suggested by one TCC councillor of meetings being held in secret.

I was saddened to read it, as it's just plain misleading nonsense, and TCC doesn't deserve that criticism.

It was unacceptable to mislead the public in this way.

Margaret Murray-Benge,
Western Bay District Councillor.