A lobby group formed to protect the Mount Hot Pools from developers is seeking public assistance to carry on the fight.
The Mount Protection Society Incorporated (MPS) has hired an environmental lawyer to help it be included in the appeal process.
Mount protection society secretary Doug Esterman.
'We couldn't agree more wholeheartedly with the commissioner's decision,” says MPS secretary Doug Esterman.
'TCAL has appealed the independent commissioner's decision and is now taking TCC to the Environment Court to overturn the decision, in other words – TCAL, a council controlled organisation of TCC, is challenging TCC in an expensive legal wrangle, and TCC has to effectively defend its position against a council controlled organisation (TCAL).
'As if this isn't enough, TCAL is seeking legal costs from TCC – the absurdity of the situation would be amusing if the project hadn't already cost ratepayers a small fortune – some $1.5 million and growing by the day,” says Doug.
The Mount Protection Society considers:
- The $7.5m plus interest costs of the hot pools redevelopment project will be better spent maintaining and preserving Mauao – restoring the base track, removing seaweed from the beaches and properly maintaining the existing hot pools. The profits the hot pools are said to continually generate should be channelled back into much needed hot pools maintenance and not used to fund other loss making council owned pools.
- The salt water hot pools are unique and must be preserved.
- Rates should be used to fund public needs, not a high-end massage centre/spa that will be inaccessible to the average public.
- Parking at the Mount is already at a premium. The shortfall in required car parks will only add to the congestion particularly in peak season.
- The camping ground at the base of Mauao, including the hot pools, should be preserved for future generations. A camping holiday at the beach is an iconic Kiwi experience. The proposed wellness centre would have resulted in the loss of some 24 campsites and the income derived from them.
The Mount Protection Society Incorporated (MPS) has been formed from a group of 15 like-minded individuals opposing the redevelopment at the Mount Hot Pools.
The Mount Protection Society Incorporated seeks public assistance and can be contacted at mounthotpools@hotmail.com
MPS also encourages people to lobby Tauranga City Councillors, particularly those who have supported the project in the past, namely: Mayor Stuart Crosby, Deputy Mayor David Stewart (until recently a Director of TCAL), Councillor Wayne Moultrie, Councillor Bill Faulkner.
It is also encouraging the public to lobby the three newly elected councillors: Terry Molloy, Tony Christiansen and Larry Baldock, who have so far only supported the status quo.
22 comments
Great MPS
Posted on 20-06-2011 09:31 | By tabatha
Great to see people interested in keeping spending down but also supporting a special part of the Mount Culture, the Hot Pools. In today's society everyone seems hell bent on making more by spending more. At this stage the situation is there is not excess money, the pools were allowed to get run down hoping that a revamp would be given the go ahead. I am also curious to know if the repairs have actually started on the hot pools or are TCAL waiting for the hearing and then delay again. They must have plenty of money or hopeful to win and gain money. I believe they are paying the staff from the Hot Pools, some who were told about temperature changes and did nothing. It makes you wonder who is supporting who here. Tauranga is developing in some quarters a real you scratch my back and I will scratch yours outlook. Time for Sunlive or Sun Media to look into what is actually happening inside the locked doors at the pool, anything or nothing.
The Bottom Line
Posted on 20-06-2011 09:34 | By bigted
Someone, somewhere has a dollar to make in this whole debacle.
HERE WE GO
Posted on 20-06-2011 14:11 | By STRAITAS
Excellent idea, starting a Lobby Group, to protect a Mount Icon, now maybe TCAL will be up front with what it's agenda is. It does look like they are holding out till this Appeal is heard again and are hoping that the appeal will go thier way. We need to support the MPS Com'n citizen give your support help save these pools and spend the money on the right things.
Mount Hot Pools
Posted on 20-06-2011 14:59 | By Glen Clova
I for one think the redevelopment is a great idea. All protests do is hinder progress and cost more money. As for more money to improve the base track around the mount dont you think $65,000,00 is enough.There are thousands of people who never walk around the mount or go to the beach but use the pools.Protesters have held this town back for years time to move forward.
Good job TCC got what they deserved
Posted on 20-06-2011 15:10 | By Hebegeebies
Good on MPS for getting the message out there. Need more people like them to show an interest in all failing TCC projects (read that as everything TCC touches)to make TCC gun shy and prudent about everything they try on.Council have had this lesson coming for years.
@ KIRRIE - SMELL THE ROSES MY DEAR
Posted on 20-06-2011 15:13 | By WARTS N ALL
All here have no issue with a "Hot Pool" sensible redevelopment, but this failed proposal is nothing to do with "REDEVELOPING the hot pools that is a Hoax and PR scam from TCC and TCAL, the REAL DEAL here is that they want in mass massage rooms and a day spa, the price is massive, it is a business activity that will fail and TCC should not be doing it anyway, this is MORON stuff if you believe the driville in front of you, then you do it, you pay for it ... be my guest, in fact I would give you free rent and a good luck card. I would give you a couiple of months to figure the obvious, maybe I would send you a "GET WELL CARD" about then. OK????
To Tabatha
Posted on 20-06-2011 17:54 | By KiwiSteve
There will be work going to remedy the Mount Hot Pools. Some pimply faced university graduate will be saying how it should be done, this will of course be reviewed by'higher up', and then some suit, will say how it 'MUST' be done, (of course each of these steps will be at a great financial cost) Then a group of guys, with dirty hands, will get on and do the job. That is of course how everything works!
Nothing wrong with making a dollar
Posted on 20-06-2011 18:45 | By The Tomahawk Kid
@BigTed: Is there something wrong with that? Or do you prefer the model of legalised theft and redistribution of other peoples money? - Do you have something against people earning a living selling something that people are happy to purchase without FORCE or Coercion? - That is my idea of heaven - where people are allowed to spend the money that THEY earn, on things that they value without being robbed and forced to pay for things that OTHERS value, under the pretence that it is for their own good. If only people were as interested in calling for the protection of private property rights we would not be in such a mess in the first place.
**Yawns** ~ ooops excuse me but ~
Posted on 20-06-2011 20:41 | By Nigel Barker
this crap has being going on for months, probably longer behind the scenes in secret meetings. Bloody good on you Doug and MPS ~ well done team. What TCC elected members and their enclosed bureaucratic doffers must accept is that there will be a whole lot more of citizens standing up and being counted. Stuart (yea you again - cos you are The Boss aye?) I know from personal experience that 'change' can be a challenge. No doubt about that. I also know from personal experience that if we don't change and get with the flow we get left behind ... swamped ... dumped ... and then there are tears. Get up with the play Stu or start planning on swimming in different waters. I do not know you. I have no axe to grind with you. Seems that you are a nice bloke. Also seems you are getting way out of your depth and into very hot water. I recall an old (80yrs) business mentor telling me years ago "Nice people come second in business" Think about that Stu! Encourage your fellow elected members to consider it as well. And most important tell your staff (the bureaucrats) that you are "The Boss" and they will do as they are told to do. All the previous Local Authorities I have worked in listened to and were very much guided by The Boss. There are quite a few other issues "we" want answers to. Bay Park, City Partners, uncontrolled internal spending, uncontrolled spending in general, TCC funding TCAL & TCVL, TCC competing directly against private enterprise, and there are many many more. Stuart I really don't think you can see past "your" status, freebies & smiley pics in the media. Tuaranga citizens have had enough ... get out there and talk with the mum's and dad's. And as Banksie used to say "Talk with the people in struggle street" Are you up to it Stuart?? - Citizens Monitoring Council -
Have these guys done or said anything???
Posted on 20-06-2011 20:50 | By Nigel Barker
***Terry Molloy, Tony Christiansen and Larry Baldock, who have so far only supported the status quo.*** To be honest I have been very very disappointed in their lack of opinion public to date ~ I know of many who voted for them expecting to see some action. You guys its all very well to say "ooo we are just settling in". Not long until the next LA election and you have done ... ??? You have said ... ??? You stood up for or against ...??? In another life you guys were smart, astute, intelligent, forth right, speak your mind, survived struggle street males. What has happened??? - Citizens Monitoring Council -
@ NIGEL B
Posted on 21-06-2011 00:48 | By TERMITE
I don't think Tont has actually been there to even "status Quo" anything, may look like that but the silence is as a result of not being there but offf in other places doing paid for meetings instead, that is not use to the voters for sure.
Tony Christianson, Terry Molloy and Larry Baldock
Posted on 21-06-2011 07:25 | By KiwiSteve
Are they really current councillors? Who would have known!!!!
Hypocritical 'analysis'.
Posted on 21-06-2011 09:18 | By SpeakUp
Kirrie, on one side you want more public funds for the pool but balk at funds spent on the base track. When will people understand that ratepayers are shafted not by public facilities' maintenance but by the 'managers' siphoning off hundreds of thousands of rate dollars to fill their private coffers, disguised as 'management' fees. The mobsters rub each others shoulder. For them the public finances are a trough. They leave us bickering about the worthiness of public enterprise by running the system into the ground. The public servants who are responsible for mismanagement and misappropriation of funds will be taken to account. Nothing will be forgotten. SpeakUp -Citizen Monitoring Council-
Just don't ping the ratepayer
Posted on 21-06-2011 09:54 | By JSmithington
Council can do as much or as little with the hot pools as far as I'm concerned. My main concern is that rates don't subsidise it. It should be user pays, including any upgrade and maintenance. I'm hoping councillors, Catherine Stewart, Murray Guy and others fight to keep it self-funding with no ratepayer money keeping it afloat.
And the point is?
Posted on 21-06-2011 11:17 | By aegis
Some people get the job done with quiet confidence. Some people need to publish their thoughts and some want everyone to know about their opinion and actions. And guess what? All that does is make them LOOK good, like they're doing all the work but it doesn't change a thing. The media loves to misquote to generate controversy. Why? Because it makes people like you tick! So the smart, intelligent and astute ones are right not to bother with "fame" and don't need to blow their own horn. The people voted for them so either trust them to do their best or don't. Their job is to work for the ratepayers, not in making themselves look good in the public.
@ AEGIS
Posted on 21-06-2011 19:31 | By YOGI
The problem is that they are doing their best yet that fails to register on the "common sense" radar as yet. They actually need to vastly exceed their ability to appear on the horizon, DO NOT HOLD your breath on that one. Therer job is to "work for ratepayers" yet that is not apparent from the results achieved, methods used and focus of attention to the important things, e.g. more time is spent talking to trees, about trees and the like than has merit by days, yet the finances are in a mess from top to bottom. Have you got it figured out yet.
Trees, trees and more trees..
Posted on 22-06-2011 13:06 | By aegis
I don't need to have it figured out. I know. That's a perfect example from Yogi about the trees. Just because of some people (well effectively from what I read, it was really only 1 person) like to speak to the media about everything and nothing, it gives the public this perception that TCC is spending so much time on pointless issues (like the stupid tree) instead of bigger things. Yet there are people here also criticising those who are not making their opinion public, perhaps because they would rather spend their time on more important things? Decisions are the result of 11 votes so the results that the public eventually see or hear about are not the result of 1, 2 or 3 specific people. For one to come out and say "I didn't agree with that decision" would certainly make them look good but it wouldn't change the end result so why would the "smart, astute and intelligent" waste their time or bother to risk having their statements distorted? Unless we sit in Council Chambers or access meeting minutes, we wouldn't really know what actually goes on in the decision making process, who voted for or against a "stupid decision" or the real reason it had to be made in the first place. I daresay that TCC has weak leadership but he was the lesser of all evils on offer. As for the councillors, some good, some not so good and some just plain useless. But we voted them into office so who really is to blame?
Badboy TCC decisions R obvious
Posted on 23-06-2011 08:09 | By Hebegeebies
Aegis (ee-jiss) I am afraid you have managed to get your head into a place where the sun don't shine.Open your eyes and use the grey matter it is really quite easy to identify bad TCC decisions and who voted for what.Those of us that didn't vote for the current group of bozos can criticise to our hearts content because we told you so.Yes Crs Baldock Christiansen and Molloy are seat warmers say very little(almost invisible) just follow the Crosby Clan policy- spend waste and burn mentality.
@ AEGIS
Posted on 23-06-2011 12:36 | By PLONKER
I would not mind if I could see the point of some decisions, buut that would mean TCC would have to stop the secret meetings, place all information in the public arena and justify what they are doing, then accept common sense "new" ideas other than from within TCC. They can't that is the whole point of secret meetings and "it was not me ..." behaviour pattern currently present in City Hall.
ID
Posted on 24-06-2011 11:45 | By Capt_Kaveman
.
Sunday 3 July Main Beach
Posted on 03-07-2011 08:10 | By Murray.Guy
Sunday 3 July, from 11-1pm, the Mount Protection Society folk are on the Main Beach with as BBQ and information in regard their concerns, how we can help! I would never have imagined a community group would have to be formed to protect our 'Mountain' from the City Council.
Mount protection society
Posted on 05-07-2011 21:29 | By Fonzie
Murray we actually need a society to protect us from TCC
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