The init script which is supplied with postgresql has a minor flaw in it. If authentication is set to anything other than simply 'trust', on startup it will require the postgres users password.

This is due to a lowercase w instead of an uppercase W causing it to wait for startup and subsequently attempt to connect, pg_ctl notes that on start, the default action should be not to wait, hence the entry of this bug.

To fix it, do the following:
< "/usr/bin/pg_ctl -D $PGROOT/data -l /var/log/postgresql.log -w start"
---
> "/usr/bin/pg_ctl -D $PGROOT/data -l /var/log/postgresql.log -W start"

Problem solved.