Tauranga City Council is considering prosecuting the organisers of the Boobs on Bikes tour, which motored through Tauranga on August 4.
The event took place without a parade permit, though organisers were in communication with council staff before it took place.
Boobs on Bikes was originally considered by the Tauranga City Council not to require a parade permit. Pictured is the procession at The Strand.
The issue was debated in the confidential section of Monday's Tauranga City Council meeting.
Council CEO Ken Paterson said he believed all potential prosecutions should remain in confidential, and only be transferred into open business afterwards.
Tauranga City Councillors denied parade permission to the Boobs on Bikes Tiki Tour two days before it was scheduled to take place.
Councillors opposed Boobs on Bikes on the grounds that there was no traffic management plan – and that it was likely to be offensive.
The decision was ignored by its organiser Steve Crow who has a High Court judgement in his favour.
When the Auckland City Council tried a similar tactic, the judge said it is not offensive for women to ride topless.
At the time his view was supported by councillor and former barrister Wayne Moultrie who said traffic management was the only issue open to the council.
The advice from council staff at the time was that 10-25 bikes riding through town did not require a traffic management plan.
Boobs on Bikes organisers did apply for a permit and council staff were discussing traffic management issues with organisers when the politicians made their decision.
The start and finish areas of the event were changed as a result of those discussions.
The Tauranga leg of the tour brought a crowd estimated at about 3000 people to The Strand and Devonport Road.
There were a few minor scuffles when protestors tried to block the road, but there were no arrests.
View coverage of the event here.
21 comments
What More Spending?
Posted on 20-09-2011 09:33 | By tabatha
The time for arguement was when the event was set up. If our city fathers decide to prosecute who pays? If they loose who pays costs? Obviously ratepayers and no I did not even bother going into town, was not interested. Let us move on and deal with the future of Tauranga, it needs CPR urgently as the beat is slowly fading for our young people. We need something for them in Tauranga.
Watse not want not
Posted on 20-09-2011 10:35 | By Writerman
Why waste money on trying to take these guys to court? There is already a High Court precedent for this matter which any lower court is bound to follow. The only outcome will be a win for Steve Crow and yet another load of rates money wasted by the "Boobs on council benches". I am not remotely interested in Crow's show, and I found it incredibly easy to simply not go there.Why everybody else can't simply do the same and leave it at that, beats the heck out of me. Crow only does this to publicise his Auckland expo. He won't bother running the bikes through any place where the turnout is poor. So if Tauranga doesn't want it, all you have to do is stay away.
What a boo boo
Posted on 20-09-2011 10:07 | By bigted
Memo to council - Remember Titanic? Those in charge rearranged the deck chairs whilst the ship sunk.
Wake up People
Posted on 20-09-2011 10:50 | By Tony
This parade brought more people and more money down town in a few hours that the stupid "Real Nz festival" did in 2 weeks , What does this tell you about what the idiots that run this city and what they know about what the citizens want downtown????
PERSECUTION v's pROSECUTION?
Posted on 20-09-2011 11:10 | By WOFTAM
So then does that mean that all the nice men and woman "parading" up the beach all summer long need a license to do so?
nonsense
Posted on 20-09-2011 13:06 | By gregor
it should be easier not harder for this sort of activity to take place...a traffic management plan? rediculous. Soon you'll need a permit to wipe your own backside.
Yawn
Posted on 20-09-2011 11:19 | By DRich
things move so slowly around here...let go for goodness sake, it's old news...agree will tony, writerman and tabatha
Prosecution considered for TCC and WBoPDC
Posted on 20-09-2011 13:06 | By SpeakUp
Now, THAT would be a welcome headline. Or even better, 'Mayor and Councilors charged with misappropriation of public funds'. -Citizens Monitoring Council-
Inept
Posted on 20-09-2011 11:27 | By davidt5
In my view we have the most inept councilor's available in NZ leading!!! our city. Sports facilities pull in big crowds - lots of paying people. Art galleries and museums pull in very few people as they appeal only to the snobs in the community - very few paying people. Just see the way in which RWC has avoided our lovely city as if we had the plague.
Brainless and Expensive waste of Ratepayers money
Posted on 20-09-2011 13:14 | By xenasdad
So our TCC is considering an action against a ruling by the High Court, over a legal event now past. It doesn't get more futile, wasteful, and totally stupid than this. How about a prosecution against the rabid self righteous ones who attempted to put a chain across the street? If it had stopped an Ambulance or Fire engine getting a defibrillator reaching someone in time, then surely they would be guilty of manslaughter??
In Agreement
Posted on 20-09-2011 13:08 | By lilybit
I totally agree with Writerman. I too found it really easy to stay away. And although I am in the Western Bay I agree that the councillors will spend rate payers money for the hell of it, if it suits their need at the time.
Another waste
Posted on 20-09-2011 13:19 | By DerekR
When will Tauranga public learn that that to have their rates managed for their benefit they need to change the old guard on the council
observer
Posted on 20-09-2011 14:24 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Yeah there were a lot more poeple at this event than Friday night of the World Cup ...Council - spend my rates on something productive thanks .
Waste of taxpayer money
Posted on 20-09-2011 16:35 | By dgk
Any prosecution would be doomed to failure. Just getting permission to appeal Mr Crowe to the Supreme Court will not be cheap, never mind any resulting case. Also, council have already publically stated that a traffic management plan wasn't needed, so can't prosecute on those grounds either. What a complete waste of time and money.
Slow dont bryceh ...
Posted on 20-09-2011 16:50 | By Tony
Mate take a breath instead of trying to guess what Im trying to say just ask My main point was to suggest the the Boobs on Bike parade was far better promoted and of far more public interest then the "Real Tauranga festival" down town over the last 2 weeks, The power of a good and effective marketing plan. No I dont automaticly suggest that people who attened the parade are or were perverts , Thou Im sure the law of avaerge suggests there were at least 1 out of 3000 that may fit your definition of a pervert. Me I just like boobs and a laugh. Your refeance to 3000 1/2 naked bikie women downtown , No I would be too worried about that either if they were as well behaved as the boobs on bikes people , But yes if they had 3000 drunken boyfreinds there Id probarly stay home after dark. Have a nice day
inane
Posted on 20-09-2011 17:48 | By jimmi
what a lot of bollocks, so its ok for 10 hot rods for example to travel through town in convoy, without a traffic plan, who is running this town, certainly not the new City manager or the Mayor, ooops thats right, our Mayor has lost his balls, someone please stop the idiots and we are not talking about Crow, he is getting what he wants and thats publicity, let it die.
PLAY IT AGAIN PLEASE ...
Posted on 20-09-2011 18:13 | By PLONKER
When are they coming back folks, nevermind the dreamy ideas of Council, they don't know what is good for themselves nevermind anyone else.
Feel Like A Right Tit?
Posted on 20-09-2011 20:39 | By makkas
We should be looking for a decrease in rates if the council thinks it can waste money on a flimsy appeal bought about by a very small bunch of very narrow minded people who more than likely harbour some more deeper issues than being comfortable with breasts. Get a life it was only the nipple that was exposed . . . You can see cleavege any where any time . . .
Options ...
Posted on 20-09-2011 21:26 | By Murray.Guy
Following the decision by Mr Crow to ignore our Street Use Bylaws and proceed with his parade, staff, quite rightly, advised they would report on the parade and provide elected members with a range of options available. This matter was included in yesterday's Council meeting agenda. The options may have included prosecuting, may have included that elected members's sit in a circle, hold hands and have a group cry. It may be a surprise to some, but, considering options is what we do.
@ Murray Guy
Posted on 21-09-2011 08:54 | By SpeakUp
Pull you finger out -ALL of you councilors- and do some REAL work, on REAL issues, geared around NECESSARY matters and ones for which Council has a MANDATE to consider. Get your noses out of other people's business, and STOP being the upholder of morals! Council HAS NO MANDATE to waste our money!!! Do your prescribed job or get another one. And if Council believes that being know-it-alls, sticky-beaks, crony-chums and moral policemen is in their job description than WE, the ratepayers, will make sure at next election YOU ALL GET IT! -Citizen Monitoring Council-
@ MURRAY and SPEAKUP
Posted on 21-09-2011 13:56 | By PLONKER
Go speakup, yes they can not do what they are meant to be doing waters x 3, so there is no hope of them being able to do anything else. Murray, we dont pay you lot to sit around holding hands although that cuases a lot less harm in a sense as you then can not put you finger up all of the damn time spending money. TCC STAFF, I am sure that they would "report" on the parade, I am sure the offices were on that day COMPLETELY VACANT and in particular on the top floor where the lift does notgo not more ...
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.