Letters: Ratepayers are opposed to increasing debt

Conceptual impression of the Rotorua Lakefront development. Image / File

John Pakes' letter (Letters, January 16) incorrectly, in my view, states that some (read many) Rotorua ratepayers are opposed to development.

Instead what many ratepayers are opposed to is increasing council debt, which incurs interest and which must be repaid at some stage and which, in many cases, is just a complete waste of money such as the inner city cycle track.

Would John Pakes run a business like this where expenditure always exceeds income? Does he run his household like this and is forever in debt?

Most of us try to live within our means because we have to but the council likes spending other people's money – taxpayer money and ratepayer money – and also borrows more and more to finance these development projects simply, in my view, because it can.

Councillors and mayors are only here for a short time, but many ratepayers can see that council debt will burden ratepayers for decades and generations to come.

Rotorua Lakes Council debt is forecast to hit $200 million dollars this year and even at a 5 per cent interest rate, this would equate to interest payments of $10 million per year which in turn equates to the rates of about 4000 households.

What a waste of ratepayer money! Who exactly wants the Lakefront "re-developed"? Certainly not most ratepayers who are happy with what we have. Ratepayers should remember a mayor and councillors by their good management, not by their mis-management and increasing debt they have incurred. (Abridged)

Paul Carpenter
Paradise Valley

Traffic calming please

For several months now we have tried to get the Rotorua Lakes Council to implement traffic calming on Cochrane St.

Since the council put speed bumps on the Kawaha Point Rd the traffic now uses our road as a thoroughfare. The council has completely ignored all requests.

We are getting fed up with this attitude from the Rotorua Lakes Council.

Jim Adams
Rotorua

Lakefront signed off

I note Reynold Macpherson continues with his long-winded diatribe (Letters, February 12) about how the council should get all its ducks in a row before it proceeds with the Lakefront Development.

Does he not realise that this project has been signed off by council and work will start shortly?

Does he not realise that $20m of the $40m will not cost the ratepayers of our city anything - other than its minuscule share of the Government's tax paid contribution?

Does he not realise that our city requires a visionary view of the future, and in this case the development will help to put Rotorua on the world map for lakefronts/seafronts?

I have no doubt that Macpherson will once again repeat his view that Rotorua has other priorities, such as the museum, and others.

While I will agree in the instance of the museum, I would be very surprised if the council does not have a plan to proceed with this iconic asset once the funding has been finalised.

The issue of increased employment has also been raised, and he would know that job creation does not happen overnight.

In this instance, Eat Streat comes to mind as while it had its critics in its early days, today it is applauded by all.

Furthermore, combined with the iwi Lakefront investment, and tourism growth, future employment will most certainly occur, to the benefit of all. (Abridged)

Mike Mcvicker
Rotorua

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