Papamoa Residents & Ratepayers Association
15 April 2021
RE: SUBMISSION TO TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL FOR LTP 2021-2031
Attention:
CEO Tauranga City Council: Marty Grenfell
Commissioners: Ann Tolley, Stephen Sellwood, Bill Wasely, Shadrach Rolleston
Good morning,
The Papamoa Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc (PRRA) is asking for an item to be added to the Long Term Plan. The item is
Grant of $150,000 (excl GST) per annum to Papamoa Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc.
to provide funding to the organisation to employ consultants to appraise and comment on Tauranga City Council initiatives and plans.
Full accounts will be provided annually to show the complete details of the discharge of the grant.
As you know, local democracy has been suspended in Tauranga and there is no mechanism for ratepayers to effectively comment and change council plans with no councillors to act on their behalf.
The Council initiatives are becoming more complex and structured in such a way as it is very difficult for the lay ratepayer to have the time, money and resources to make a complete and meaningful analysis. As a consequence, the ratepayer responses are very fragmented. The new plans are often announced with a very short consultation period and this is a sham of the consultation system and reduces community involvement and input.
The reviews will include transport, plan changes, future plans, existing areas of disagreement, unnotified developments and council new initiatives eg land acquisition and disposal policy, looking at Papamoa and the overall city.
The Council holds all the cards and to repeat, there is no local democracy now and Tauranga has new commissioners who do not know and fully understand local issues, topography and community feelings. The commissioners are trying hard to hear all the voices but the loudest and closest are always the council officers.
In summary, for Papamoa Ratepayers & Residents Association to be able to comment in depth on council initiatives and the Long Term Plan, PRRA needs to employ expert consultants to examine fully the issues for the discussion, communicate with the community and provide feedback to the council. This requires funding and resources.
It is noteworthy that the Council is proposing a staff increase and the wage bill will increase by around $20 million in the next year, to create more projects that will require the community to “consult on”. To do this consultation thoroughly, PRRA needs to employ paid professional assistance.
This concept of providing funds to other parties involved in the community debate is not new. This gives the resources for independent review and comment and the resultant solution is often more robust and appropriate. This week, you have heard Downtown Tauranga apply for $150000.
An example, Plan Change 27 which imposed a theoretical rain event on Tauranga and resulted in maps showing areas of flooding and then tagging LIMs without any consultation before announcing this to the ratepayers, may be a completely flawed analysis. Our research has discovered a question mark over whether the correct height datum was used for the analysis. PRRA urgently needs to employ experts to check this anomaly.
A draft business plan is attached.
PRRA would like to present a submission for this funding before the LTP process is signed off.
Working together with the community creates better solutions.
Regards,
Philip Brown
on behalf of Papamoa Residents & Ratepayers Association Inc.
Papamoa Residents & Ratepayers Association
Business Plan 2021/2022
Business Case
Cost $ GST excl
Secretary/Researcher 25,000.00
Office & Office expenses 15,000.00
Intern Researchers 15,000.00
Consultation & communication with the community 10,000.00
Planned Projects
Plan Change 27
Consultants to review base data used to create the flooding model. 20,000.00
Wairakei Waterways Planting
Consultants to provide scientific analysis on benefits in Palm Beach Reserve of planting 15,000.00
Roading design review in Papamoa
Utilise roading planners 15,000.00
Reviewing growth plans of Tauranga
Present alternate future scenarios. 15,000.00
Analysis of TCC budgets, and policies.
Accountants and planners 20,000.00
150,000.00