Please Tauranga City – one rule for all

For the past six weeks the park adjourning Takitimu Drive (below 9th Avenue) has been the home of a squatter. This isn’t your usual homeless person, but this is an “occupation” by one Mr Ranginui (that is the name he told me) who already has a home (according to him) adjourning, or part of, the Judea Marae. He says that he has a dispute with the Marae, and that as a tribe member of Ngati Ranginui he owns the park, and Tauranga City Council (and the police) can’t evict him.

I asked Councillor Bev Edlin for help, and both Tauranga City staff and the police have visited Mr Ranginui. He tells me that he has told them to take him to Court, and as a result there seems to be no further action, and he continues to squat there.

I pointed out to the squatter that Ngati Ranginui has been part of the 2012 Treaty Settlement of $140 million ($38 million directly to Ngati Ranginui), and that is full and final settlement for all Tauranga confiscated land. He just doesn’t want to listen, and locals are getting annoyed that this gentleman can continue to squat (including defecating in the bushes), and forcing female walkers and joggers to refrain from using this section of the track at and after dusk. I have been told that he has been abusive to several female walkers, and my questioning him saw his aggression rise also.

I know that if I tried to set up a tent there, the Council would have me immediately evicted. Come on Tauranga City Staff – show some backbone and get this squatter removed. We can’t have different rules for different ethnicities.

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me

Easter - a time to reflect on our glory

What a wonderful city we have in Tauranga – and yet it could still be so much more. I have lived here for 29 years, and watched what was a village turn into a modern city. In the Eighties computers had arrived, but the Commodore 64 was top of the range. Today this city boasts Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB), but most are yet to connect to it. Being an “early adopter” I took the first opportunity to go UFB, which is actually only 3 times faster than before, and definitely wouldn’t/couldn’t go back! Tauranga now has a completed UFB network, and 26% of capable households and businesses have now connected to it. This is the third highest connection rate across New Zealand. The Government has set an aspirational connectivity target that would see 99% of New Zealanders able to access peak broadband speeds of at least 50 Mbps (Megabytes per second) by 2025. Today my UFB is around 30 Mbps, and I look forward to even faster (affordable) speed.

Ultra Fast Broadband is a game-changer for our city. This city has long been known for its sunshine hours and its wonderful beaches, but it is UFB that will allow our young, upwardly mobile families to realise that they can live in blissful relaxation, and still be connected to a global economy. They are finally coming here in droves, and the challenge now it to ensure that our city doesn’t lose its competitive advantages. Past Mayors like Bob Owens and then Noel Pope ensured that our infrastructure preceded predicted growth, by pre-investing in the likes of our Harbour Bridge and Route K. This is a wonderful city – now let’s all ensure that we have the vision to retain and build on that magic.

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me.

Next Steps for Fresh Water – we need to be vigilant

Central Government has a consultation document out, proposing legislative change to improve the management of New Zealand’s rivers, lakes, aquifers and wetlands. Currently New Zealanders only use 2% of our rainfall (water), and yet in specific places there is a real shortage of available water for allocation; and we need to manage both water quality better, as well as improve efficiency of use.

I was heartened to hear the proposal for regional and unitary councils to be required to heed to “national standards”, but I am a bit sceptical of these same councils complying with this national framework. History tells us that our councils have been notoriously poor in the past, using their risk-averse and cost-plus mentality to overly complicate what should be straight forward legislation. It is my view that Central Government is taking a “soft option” on this, and that they would have been better to strengthen the powers of the Environmental Protection Authority to administer this. I know that the EPA has also struggled to effectively manage their mandate, but the track record of local authorities managing the RMA tells me that we are going to have to be vigilant to protect the rights of all New Zealanders with this current proposition. This is one of the primary reasons that I have decided to once again stand for election as one of your Regional Councillors – I am concerned that our current bunch will likely “roll over” on issues such as water allocation.

The proposal is for Regional & Unitary Councils to manage both water quality and water quantity issues, but with strengthened national requirements. Historically each regional council has set its own rules and limits, and these have not been consistent across the country. The Minister for the Environment (Hon Dr Nick Smith) and the Minister for Primary Industries (Hon Nathan Guy) announced at the Bluegreens Forum on 20th February 23 initiatives to legislate for better environmental rules for fresh water. These include:

• National regulations to get stock out of waterways – with a determined timetable for compliance, and appropriate enforcement requirements

• Strengthening the national requirements on councils to set limits

• Standardised water permit conditions on the efficient use of water and minimising nutrient loss

• Improved iwi involvement in council development of water plans and water conservation orders

• An additional $100m clean-up fund for lakes, rivers and wetlands

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me.