At the recent Nav Com meeting the cost of the Bill was raised.

A BA officer, whilst seemingly looking straight at one of the petitioners, stated that the cost of petitioning, so far, was put at £50,000.00.

In response I made the point that to blame the petitioners was unfair and that the Authority should accept some responsibility as it was they who had produced a contentious Bill. It will be interesting to see how this is minuted.

Dr Packman, when I pushed him, stated that the cost of the Bill was now anticipated as being up to £200,000.00.

I asked where this was coming from. Dr Packman, as I understood it, stated that the Minister had agreed that £100,000.00 could come out of the DEFRA grant and that the remainder would be charged equally to both the Navigation and the General account.

I then asked if this was capped and both Martin Broom and Dr Packman stated that there is no upper limit.

So £50,000.00, and it could be more, is now to come out of the Navigation Account. Such is the cost of democracy.

The toll increase is recommended at 11% and it was made clear that this was now needed, in part, to pay for the increased costs of the Bill. It was also suggested that there needs to be an 11% increase for three years.

Not good. We are now paying directly for something that we don't want.

Awwwww, come on, Pete, be fair! Other than this wretched Bill, the Ra, the historic lack of dredging, Jensen's Island, water skiing, the sharp gravel and grit at 24hr moorings, the proliferation of excess notice boards, the Forum and the 2007 tide tables they have done a pretty darned good job.

But then I am far more charitable than the RSPB, or so it seems.

Then, Richard, we shall just have to remind them that it is they, not us, who conceived this unwelcome Bill. Personally I blame just one man for the increasing cost.

Sloppy journalism perhaps, but the EDP article this morning describes the "original cost" as £200,000. JP was quoted as saying, "It is this small group of individuals pursuing their own cause that are costing us money and costing tollpayers money."

Au contraire. Jamie's point below needs wider to reach a wider audience. And by the way, Dr P, your grammar could do with a brush up

Now, if my memory serves me correctly, when the Bill was first mooted at Nav Com the estimated cost was a mere £100,000.00.

Now it is easily going to hit £400,000.00 and probably more. And, typically, the Doctor blames those of us who are petitioning the Bill in the Lords.

Dr Packman, tell us, which came first, this ill conceived Broads Bill, or the considered and easily justifiable opposition?

No, it is not those who are petitioning that are costing the tollpayers money. It is the threat to our common law rights, our heritage and culture, it is your damnable Bill, Dr Packman, that is costing us all.