Building homes and infrastructure should be priority
While positively agreeing with deputy mayor Dave Donaldson that new homes can't be built without infrastructure (January 28) it will be cold comfort to those many citizens of Rotorua desperately looking for somewhere to live.
Prior to the election, mayor Steve Chadwick saidthere was the possibility of 1000 new homes all in the areas in need of additional infrastructure. This of course can't happen while the council continues to finance what I believe are vanity projects like $8 million for a health hub, $500,000 cost overruns, budget shortfalls and $500,000 for a piece of artwork that could turn out to be a view blocker or another seagull perch between the landfill and the lake.
Traffic congestion is another reason why [Donaldson] feels we are better off than Tauranga. Tell that to those who live in our Eastern suburbs and daily face the horror of the Tarawera roundabout.
And I would remind him that Rotorua's senior citizens number about 10,000 which is more than the national average according to the most recent census, and are equally in need of adequate facilities and suitable housing.
After spending most of 2016 in Wellington, where there is a glaring gap between rich and poor, I felt a very mixed reaction upon returning to Rotorua. On the one hand I personally indulged in some of the offshoots of a booming economy- the new artisan market and a world class exhibition, but on the other hand I was absolutely distraught to find that there are now increasing homeless and, even more shockingly, whole families living in motels or caravan parks.
I acknowledge that Rotorua has always had inequality. The city has also always had very powerful community spirit. But I fear that a booming economy will destroy that spirit as well as create increasing inequality. And given the choice between rags or riches for our city, for that reason we should always choose rags. An equal society that cares for everyone is far better than a flashy one which has lost its heart.
