Letters: 'Deregulation not the answer to housing crisis'

Whanganui's housing market has exploded in recent years. Photo / File

Rene de Jongh (Letters, April 13) has suggested that the housing crisis would be solved if the government got rid of its housing regulations.

He was lucky he had his properly designed house in the central North Island built 40 years ago: three years later, deregulating the housing industry and leaving it to market forces was exactly what the government did do.

Consequently, unskilled labourers replaced apprentices, juvenile pine sapwood was used for building and builders relied on no more than a coat of paint for weather-tightness.

Twenty years later this country had tens of thousands of leaky, damp, mouldy, rotting, unlivable houses requiring $12 billion to repair, as well as a shortage of skilled tradesmen to do the repairs and to build enough new houses.

That is why we now have a housing crisis shortage. Because the sheep-like government did get the flock out of the way.

Incidentally, I would be most obliged if Mr de Jongh could tell us exactly how great an arc he opened the windows of his house in the central North Island to heat it on a winter's day.

Up here on the volcanic plateau we keep our windows shut tight in winter, and our heat pump keeps the house at a cosy 23C all day, for no more than the price of a Whanganui Chronicle.

JOHN ARCHER
Ohakune

Debt concern

The focus on an 8 per cent increase in Horizons Regional Council rates next year is only part of the picture.

If their Long Term Plan goes through unchanged, it will lock in a 24 per cent increase on your current rates in just the next three years.

As concerning must be the level of debt Horizons proposes to take on. Prior to the region's devastating floods in 2004, Horizons had no debt.

That placed it in a strong position to borrow for flood repairs and prevention to the value of over $30 million.

Horizons' previous Long Term Plan states that debt was due to be completely paid off by 2026/27 leaving zero debt, putting Horizons in a strong position to deal with future extreme events.

This proposed Long Term Plan changes that zero-debt target in 2026/27, to now being and eye-watering $92m and carrying on with that level debt.

Some councillors are justifying this change by saying "money is cheap to borrow" - it may well be, but why the need to compromise the prudent approach taken previously readying this organisation for a rainy day.

It's also worth noting that a considerable amount of this borrowing is for operational expenditure, which in my view is just another way of masking the real expenditure and impact on rates.

If we don't respond as ratepayers to these proposed changes, we will be forever paying for them and more.

BRUCE ROLLINSON
Ohakune

'Woke' disrespect

We are entering the age of "woke" disrespect - self grievances, self guilt and self pity depending on which racial category one belongs to, which ultimately will bring the reward of self downfall, and this is borne out in two ways in the Chronicle of Monday, April 12, with respect to the death of Prince Philip and the mayor's quote: "It's just a recognition for a long life" regarding flying the New Zealand flag at half mast.

Is that really so, or are we still part of the Commonwealth with Crown Land, Crown Govt and Governors General?

The second was the cartoon of a brown-skinned woman with rainbow fingernails and the prince in her hand exclaiming "God!?".

Not really a sense of humour, more just plain poor taste. I hope the monarchy sees it for what it is, which is soon we won't be New Zealand any longer, but Aotearoa.

LAURINE CURRIN
Whanganui