Tauranga City Council broke ranks with its SmartGrowth partners this week, directing staff to look at ways of fast-tracking development land decisions outside the partnership and report back by November 20.

But the 7-3 vote in favour of looking at accelerating development decisions was foreshadowed by warnings from Western Bay of Plenty District Councillor Garry Webber.

Western Bay of Plenty District Councillor Garry Webber.

Speaking in the public forum, Garry told city councillors he understands the issues. He's a Western Bay of Plenty District Councillor, a qualified RMA Commissioner and a member of the SmartGrowth Implementation committee, but he was speaking as a private citizen.

His message; Tauranga City Council is endangering the whole SmartGrowth Settlement Pattern Review, which the TCC is signatory to.

'In my opinion the paper (Agenda discussion paper) does not fully represent the situation before Tauranga Council,” says Garry. 'It must first go back to its earlier resolution where it unanimously endorsed the SmartGrowth strategy.

'I think you need to decide if it wishes to rescind that decision, and if it does in light of the agenda item, then I believe it is duty bound to tell its partners in SmartGrowth and Tangata Whenua of its reasons for rescinding that decision.”

Managed development is at the very heart of the SmartGrowth strategy, and the agenda item offered the option of cutting through that and taking a different path.

Some 18 months ago, TCC was party to the settlement pattern review hearings where Bob Clarkson's Tauriko land was heard, discussed, and deliberated on by the whole SmartGrowth committee.

All of the SmartGrowth partners endorsed the outcome of those discussions, says Garry. Within the last eight months Bob Clarkson's Tauriko project was again raised at a SmartGrowth meeting, where the decision was to continue with the settlement pattern review.

'This agenda item begs a bigger question,” says Garry. 'Does TCC continue with the SmartGrowth strategy where all four partners have agreed to collaborate in the best interests of all in the sub-region, not a few?

'Or is it time for amicable separation and all four partners to agree we can't work together?”

Mayor Stuart Crosby told him they wouldn't even be having the conversation if the city and the district were one authority, because a small portion of Bob Clarkson's land is within the city council's authority and a larger part is in Western Bay.

Councillor Steve Morris asked if there was a discussion among the SmartGrowth partners over Bob Clarkson's land, would Garry support that being in a public meeting with the discussion and options being on the record?

Garry says that very subject was raised at an open SmartGrowth meeting, and Tauranga city raised the possibility of having another look at the Tauriko land.

'It was accepted by a significant majority that we treat everybody fairly and equitably, not just one at a time and pick off those that suit,” says Garry.

However, Steve insists that the meeting was a closed workshop.

He says: 'The second part of my question is, do you think the elephant in the room is actually the Omokoroa Special Housing area and the Rangiuru business park?

'Because both of those projects, particularly Omokoroa, are attached to a significant financial impost against the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

'The Western Bay of Plenty District Council needs those 175 sections out there to sell and be built on, to go towards paying off the debt on that pipeline which is connecting through to Chapel Street,” says Steve.

'Is that one of the reasons why the Western Bay of Plenty District Council is against the proposal on Mr Clarkson's land? Is it to look after Omokoroa and their ratepayers out there?”

Garry said he was there as an individual.

'One thing I try and bring to local government is I try and stick to principles and where I am coming from in this is the principle of ‘let's have a look at the whole lot', which is been debated and signed off unanimously by all the partners,” adds Garry.

'So let's not try and cherry pick it. Because somebody might have an interest here or an interest there.”