Letters: Cost of Pukenamu Queen’s Park landscaping plan not acceptable

Whanganui's Pukenamu Queen's Park.

Having read the article on the Sarjeant Gallery (cost up again), I was even more concerned to see the council is spending $425,000 on the plan - just the plan - for landscaping the area around the gallery when all the building work is finally completed.

I find it difficult to believe that amount of money for a plan was ever acceptable, especially at the moment when everyone is struggling to make ends meet in the real world.

Our rates demands will be out soon, and people in Aramoho particularly will be shocked to see how much each household in this area has to pay. I left voice messages expressing my concerns to 10 members of the council, only four of whom replied.

I do gather the majority of the councillors feel as I do about this matter, so I wonder how this contract was ever signed off, and by whom? If this is the cost of a plan, heaven help us when it comes to the actual doing of the landscaping.

Fiona Donne

Aramoho

New thinking needed on rates

Council chief executive David Langford (Whanganui Chronicle, July 21) suggested population growth and an increase in households may help spread the rates burden.

While this is not lost on us, the residents of this community, it is evident the recent population growth we have already experienced has not helped reduce rates.

This reflects badly on this council’s financial decisions. It seems to me the more our council collects from ratepayers, the more they spend.

The recent rate hike raises significant concerns about the council’s ability to manage its finances effectively and allocate resources wisely.

It is the responsibility of our elected representatives to ensure the council is able to cut its cloth to fit the needs and capacities of our growing community.

In light of these developments, I urge this council to reconsider its approach to fiscal management and explore alternative strategies for balancing the budget.

As a resident of Whanganui, I believe that responsible fiscal management should be a priority for our council.

I hope that our elected representatives will take this matter seriously and work towards finding more equitable and sustainable solutions to manage the rates and ensure the wellbeing of our community.

Steve Baron

Whanganui