Letters to Editor: Keep up roadworks

Keep up roadworks
I refer to your article of June 9: Anger as funding to seal rural roads ends.
The 10-year rural road sealing extension plan approved in 2001 was to increase rural road sealing from 10km to 20km per year.
The ratepayers' contribution of about $3.4 million in 10 years was indeed subsidised and the programme was successful. All ratepayers of inhabited properties in rural rating Area Two have paid a yearly targeted rate since 2001. Ratepayers on sealed roads have thus declared solidarity with the district's ratepayers on unsealed roads.
The rate started at $90 per year and from 2005 it was increased to $110 per year. In 2010/1 a total of $373,000 was collected from 3390 ratepayers. Uninhabited property owners do not pay any targeted rates.
For 2011/12 and perhaps longer there will be a shortfall in funding from NZTA. As a result a decision was made in the 2011/12 annual plan that no unsubsidised seal extensions will be carried out.
So basically a complete stop for who knows how long.
This is an unreasonable decision for all 3390 ratepayers who have loyally contributed for 10 years to improve rural roads in their whole district in the interest of all and now have not been consulted about any change.
Even without a NZTA subsidy some road sealing extensions could certainly be done from a continued ratepayer's contribution, if not 20km per year certainly a part thereof, especially with more competitive contract rates possible as contractors are now keener on such jobs during this recession.
The cost of the roading activity in rural Area Two has been increased enormously in the HDC 2011/12 plan from $4,725,057 to $5,168,685 (increase 9.4 per cent!) resulting in the extremely high increase of the general rate.
More than 70 per cent of the general rate goes to roading. You quoted in your article the mayor, who said that there is no guarantee that any (of this steeply increased roading fund) will be used for extension of road sealing as there might always be other work with a higher priority.
Even after the correction of the recently reported rating error, the average increase of the general rate is still a very high 7.3 per cent. By cancelling the targeted road sealing rate of $110 per year the total rate increase is somewhat softened for ratepayers of smaller inhabited properties. But it resulted in an increased rate burden to the ratepayers of the many uninhabited properties where the average rate increase is still the full 7.3 per cent well above the average rate increase of 2.0 per cent promised by Council.
If an amount of $373,000 would be taken out from the general roading activity and moved back to the existing targeted rate the general rate could be reduced by 5.2 per cent and finally result in the announced 2 per cent average rate increase.
Council would kill two birds with one stone if they would make that decision.
Edward Visser, Tukituki Valley
Trail perfect addition
Bring on the Gimblett Gravels cycling trail.
I love riding the Hawke's Bay trails and look forward to my next trip.
An off-road walking and cycling trail around the wineries would be a magnificent addition.
Picture yourself cruising around the vineyards under a summer sky with a few friends.
There's a picnic of fresh Hawke's Bay produce and delicacies in your basket and you build up a mighty thirst.
And in case anyone is worried about intoxicated bikers, most wineries offer a courier service to safely deliver those precious purchases.
Patrick Morgan, Wellington