In the first couple of days of this week, four manhole covers or sump grates were either displaced or stolen from their proper place.

Removing them is both illegal and considered dangerous and has council staff frustrated.
In the week so far a grate has been removed from Lee Street near the primary school, in Wairakei Avenue and two were removed in Arawata Street in Welcome Bay.
This week council has retrieved grates and manhole covers from a Tauranga recycling business after people have attempted to sell them there for scrap.
Replacing these items is a cost worn by the ratepayer and while they are worth about $150 to a scrap merchant, a council replacement costs about $3000.
The Tauranga City Council would like to hear from anyone who has any information about people undertaking this illegal activity.

This information provided by the Tauranga City Council in its weekly works bulletin published below.

Weekly Bulletin Number 144
27 August 2009

City Waters

Water Supply:

• Pillans Watermain Upgrade work is 75% complete. Pipe laying continues in Maxwells Road and connecting up is progressing in Landscape Road.
• Fire hydrant marking and servicing continues in the Otumoetai area and throughout the city over the coming year.
• Council contactors City Care Ltd are installing new water mains in Mansfield Street during August.
• Work on the Darraghs Road water main upgrade is currently on hold while work planning information is finalised.
• The annual mains flushing programme is progressing well and is programmed to be through to the CBD by end of the week. Notices are placed in local newspapers and on Council's website to notify areas affected.
• Work to install additional water connection supplies in Maungatapu is well underway with directional drilling of the water main begun in the Hammond to Hinerua Street area. This is programmed to be completed by mid September.
• A number of programmed water shut downs will be happening this week in the following areas: Ohauiti Road, Cameron Road, Pillans Road, Mission Street, Hammond Street, Marine Parade. Affected customers will be advised by letter drop.
• The new water supply link outside 30 Ohauiti Road is on track to be completed in early September.

Drainage:

• The dangerous and illegal removal of sump grates, manhole covers and frames continues to be a problem across the city. This week, a number of missing stormwater sump grates were found removed and either located inside the sump itself or left on the grass nearby. This happened in Lee Street near the primary school; in Wairakei Avenue; and two grates were removed in Arawata Street in Welcome Bay. All sumps were located and refitted at ratepayer cost. Council staff retrieved a number of manhole covers and frames and sump grates and frames from a local recycling business this week, after an attempt by visitors to the business to sell them for scrap. The recycling business staff reported this to police and the culprits were apprehended. While the scrap value of these fittings was around $150, the actual cost of replacements was in in the order of $3000. Council appreciates the action taken by this business and would be pleased to hear from anyone with information on this kind of activity.
• Flooding was reported this week at the end of Gargan Road in Tauriko. It was found to be due to a blocked sump and soakhole. The soakhole was cleaned out and will be redrilled to get it back to as new condition.
• The following sewer blockages and/or minor overflows to ground were reported this week:
• 11th Avenue near the Memorial Park entrance. Found to be due to fat build up in the system.
• Te Otinga Place off Waterside Drive. Found to be due to fat build up in the system.
• A sewer blockage with no overflow in two manholes in Twin Oak Avenue, Papamoa. Found to be due to sand in the line possibly from nearby building works.
• A sewer overflow to ground from a gully trap in Taiaho Place. Found to be caused by rags and debris blockage in the Totara Street south wastewater pump station.
• A sewer overflow to ground from a private inspection cap at Ninth Avenue due to pohutukawa tree roots infiltration.
• A dead Muscovy duck was reported and located this week in the stormwater pond next to Santa Barbara Drive.
• The Sovereign drain in the Royal Palm Beach estate stormwater reserve was cleared of weed vegetation by excavator.
• Debris from a stormwater sump on Cambridge Road created a blockage in a stormwater pipe on Rosewood Lane. It caused an upwelling via an old covered over sump chamber. 30 square metres of bitumen surface on Rosewood Lane was damaged and is to be repaired.
• Gorse is being cleared from the Phillips Drive, Oropi Downs stormwater reserve. Work continues on plantings, an access track and pond surrounds. Recent weather conditions have made it too dangerous to work with scrubbers and chainsaws.
• A boggy area of grass walkway to the Gordon Spratt reserve playing fields from the Dalton Drive stormwater reserve bridge is being metalled. This will provide all weather access.

Inflow Reduction Project:
Gully Trap inspections are scheduled to begin in the following streets from Monday 31 August 2009:

• Bahamas Key; 52 - 92 Beachwater Drive; Florida Key; 92 - 202 Gravatt Road; Havana Key; Malibu Key; Monaco Key; Monte Carlo Key; Monterey Key; 1 - 15 Oriental Parade; 1 - 35 & 89 - 142 Palm Beach Boulevard; 462 - 504 Papamoa Beach Road; 35 - 86 Percy Road; Piha Close; St Heliers Place; 1 - 25 Santa Barbara Drive; 1 - 43 Santa Monica Drive; Santorini Key; 2 Seychelles Drive; Sorrento Key; Stella Place
• Affected property owners have been notified by letter.

Parks and Leisure

• Consultation has begun with user groups at the Gordon Spratt Reserve, Papamoa, for additional changing room/toilets and storage facilities.
• Works underway to remove muddy stretches on the walkway between Sylvania Drive and Elmes reserve in Matua.
• Mauao: The Oruahine track will be closed at times for weed control work on the bluffs above. Contractors will be continuing with the overlay on the Base track.
• The first Lambs on Mauao have been born. Enjoy looking at the new lambs, but, please do not get too close or chase them.
• Welcome Bay City on its Feet group meet for their monthly walk 9am Friday 28 August outside the Welcome Bay Hall. The walk is about an hour and a half and ends with coffee. For more info contact Laura Dombroski on 07 578 9610.
• The first athletics holiday programme to be held at the new track at the Tauranga Domain this week.

Transportation

• Cameron Road: Routine maintenance and reconstruction work on Cameron Road between Pooles Road and Maleme Street is due to start on 7th September and is expected to take about 14 weeks to complete. There will be a 30km speed restriction through the site and motorists are advised to expect delays.
• Takitimu Drive: Routine maintenance and reconstruction of the next section of Takitimu Drive between the Elizabeth Street Roundabout and the Waihi Road over bridge will start in early September. More details to follow.
• Helicopter Inspections of Power Lines: Transpower will be conducting helicopter inspections of power lines between Hairini/Maungatapu and Te Maunga between 7 9 September, weather permitting. Where the power lines are alongside roads, traffic management will be in place and motorists are advised to take care not to be distracted by the low flying helicopter.

• Elizabeth Street: Work to replace a retaining wall on the footpath by St Mary's Catholic Church is underway. The work is expected to take about another few weeks to complete. At times the footpath by the wall will be closed to pedestrians. Pedestrians are reminded to take care and use the signed alternative routes to negotiate the Elizabeth Street and Cameron Road intersection. There may be minor delays to motorists for the duration of the works.

Events Tauranga

• Events Tauranga is investigating new funding that Creative New Zealand is making available to regional theatres to encourage New Zealand product to tour throughout the country. The funding is potentially $300,000, spread over three years
• Something interesting...Culture has come up trumps in a national survey asking New Zealanders what is more important to the country's sense of identity. While sport, and rugby in particular, play a significant role in lifestyle, culture is thought to be more important. According to results of a survey by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 73 percent of New Zealanders think culture is more important than sport. The cultural sector is an important contributor to the economy with more than 126 000 people now employed in the cultural workforce.

Baycourt Community and Arts Centre
Tenders that have been received for the Baycourt Fly Tower Project are currently under review.

Events
Tuesday 25 August to Friday 28 August: Primary School's Music Festival, Baycourt Centennial Theatre
Friday 28 August: Citizenship Ceremony, Baycourt Exhibition Space
Saturday 29 August to Sunday 20 September: Tauranga Musical Theatre presents Cats. Opening night is 5 September.

Ticketing
The Ticketing team are currently selling 498 TicketDirect shows across the country. They have also recently been busy with Ticketek (which they sell across the counter only) for rugby and concerts.

Libraries

• Tauranga City Libraries is celebrating UNESCO s International Literacy Day on the 8 September with a day of adult learning classes and presentations.
• Organisational development and career consultant Denise Morrison is giving up her time once a month to run free career planning workshops in Tauranga and Papamoa Libraries.
• McMillan & Lockwood BOP Limited were successful in their tender for the Greerton Library refurbishment.

Democracy

Tuesday, 1 September - Strategy & Policy Committee

• Submission on Tauranga Eastern Link Tolling Proposal
• District Plan Review - Issue Discussion: Natural Features and Landscapes, and Ecological Areas - This report sets out further discussion on the review of the current District Plan and proposed content for the Natural Features and Landscapes and Natural Environment Chapters, specifically relating to the Te Tumu block, and Open Coast.

Wednesday, 2 September - Joint Governance Committee

• Priority One Key Performance Report
• Tourism Bay of Plenty Performance Delivery Report
• SmartEconomy Monitoring Report.
• Western Bay Moana Rural Fire Authority Council Controlled Organisation Exemption

Hearings Panel Friday 4 September

• Notified Application for Resource Consent for a Discretionary Land Use Activity Under the Resource Management Act 1991, at 313 Maungatapu Road, Maungatapu to establish and operate a childcare centre within a proposed purpose built building in the Residential A Zone.

Mayor s Diary

Monday, 31 August

• Mayor s Meeting in Auckland

Tuesday, 1 September

• Transportation Taskforce
• Strategy and Policy Committee
• Judging of Zespri Excellence in Business Awards

Wednesday, 2 September

• Breakfast Meeting with MPs
• Joint Governance TCC / WBOPDC Committee

Thursday, 3 September

• Mayoral Forum

Friday, 4 September

• Dawn Blessing Harbour Link Stage 2
• Regional Transport Committee
• Sir Robert Owens Memorial

Saturday, 5 September

• Omanu Bowling Club Opening
• Matua Bowling Club Opening

Sunday, 6 September

• Harbour Link Community Open Day
• Mastercard All Blacks Roadshow
• Opening Ceremony NZCT Aims Games 2009