"It won't. It will put rates up, put our city debt up and create an uncertain economic environment in Tauranga, which goes against everything they think they will achieve".
The mayor will get 10 minutes before the Local Government and Environment Select Committee to push for the bill to be redrafted, so ratepayers were not lumped with a debt of about $17 million for the ASB Arena, Baywave and Mount Greens Complex - projects currently partially covered by development contributions.
The bill would limit what councils could charge for, leaving ratepayers to cover the cost of things such as parks, pools and community centres in the future and the other major issue was proposed appeal rights for developers, he said.
"The risk of having so many stages of appeal is uncertainty, both for councils and developers," Mr Crosby said.
"Constant appeal means constant change which is unsustainable for council to invest long and developers rely on that certainty."
Associate Local Government Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga said the vague definition of community infrastructure had led to some councils charging developers for unneeded infrastructure or "nice to haves".
The proposed changes would limit that in the future by ensuring the community paid for community infrastructure.
When asked about lumping Tauranga ratepayers with the $17.4 million shortfall, Mr Lotu-Iiga said the cost would be spread over a number of years resulting in a 1 per cent rates hike.
The details
*Development contributions are a developer levy which councils can use to pay for infrastructure needed because of growth.
*Councils can use them to fund growth-related capital expenditure but that could change.
*Contributions are forecast to be the council's second-most important revenue in the next decade.
*$14 million is expected to be collected this financial year. The amount is forecast to grow to more than $20 million per year.
