I've just tried to fill in the council questionnaire on Parau Farms and City Vibes.

Those two questionnaires are designed to produce a pre-determined outcome in my opinion.

Nowhere is there space allowed for my comments. Like life in New Zealand today, it's all tick-box stuff.

Briefly, Parau Farms was purchased 20 or so years ago to cater for the recreational requirements of the city, demanded by predicted future growth (which happened).

Fill Parau Farms up with housing and you double the problem you were solving, don't you?

Parau Farms is that land to the south side of Bethlehem as you drive down to the Wairoa Bridge.

As for ‘City Vibes', what an airy-fairy load of nonsense. They may as well have asked: 'Do you want a Lamborghini?”

What answer would you expect?

What they needed to ask was: 'Do you want to pay for it?”

Council's prime function should be basic infrastructure, like water/wastewater/roads.

Slugging ratepayers for this airy-fairy stuff is not the true function of council, but the government-appointed commissioners that are doing the government's bidding.

I'll wait with baited breath to see these four government appointees stand at the next election as an affirmation of the direction they have dictated to the rate-paying sector of Tauranga.

Bill Faulkner, Tauranga (abridged).