THANKS to Brit Bunkley for reminding us of the dismal state of housing in New Zealand.
As I have learned from working in the field for seven years, the state of housing is exactly the way society has allowed it to be. There is very little will nationally and locally to do anything significant about it.
Although Whanganui has some of the worst housing stock and lowest health outcomes in New Zealand, the poor state of residential properties is not considered a significant enough local issue to be addressed by the health board or by council.
Fair enough. We live in a democracy, and with no public interest there is no political response.
How many ratepayers submitted to the long term plan that Whanganui District Council should consider and address the negative effects of cold, damp homes on our community? I don't know of any who did, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
At the end of the day, we get the housing we settle for.
I look forward to the day when we might see fewer complaints about housing in the pages of the Chronicle and more action about housing on the streets of Whanganui.
NELSON LEBO
Okoia
Fluoride hits spot
If fluoridated water is such a deadly poison, as some would have us believe, why are Aucklanders not dying like flies?
After all, their water has been fluoridated for donkey's years!
ELWYN EVANS
Gonville
Ratepayers carry can
More property owners are beginning to realise that through rates (property taxes), they alone fund local facilities and activities for all the community to use and enjoy. In addition, they contribute to central government responsibilities such as "economic wellbeing and social welfare" of residents.
Some other countries spread this local financial burden by being able to source three types of revenue: property taxes (rates); a community tax on individual resident's income and revenue from local government commercial activities. In this way everyone contributes to a community's facilities, not just the property owners.
Rates levied on someone's estimate of a property's value were never really designed to provide finance for sports stadiums and sponsoring the arts or entertainment.
In the past there has been considerable opposition to a poll tax, but a community tax is not a poll tax. It is one based on income and can easily be applied using the PAYE system already established by the Government. The result of this would mean everyone contributes to libraries, rugby fields and non-core facilities, including 20+year-olds on good salaries and still living at home.
As an aside, there has been a call for a tourist tax on overseas visitors but everyone seems to have forgotten that all tourists pay 15 per cent on everything they purchase, plus fuel taxes. Local government is being "short changed" by central government and this revenue collected should be reimbursed to councils on a population basis to provide the extra toilets and other facilities to meet visitor demand.
In the short term, to take the pressure off ratepayers, particularly those on fixed incomes, if a community tax is not politically feasible, an obvious solution is for central government to discontinue the anomaly of charging 15 per cent GST on rates. If this is also just not politically feasible, at least the Government could reimburse local councils with all that GST collected in their particular area.
BRIAN MOSEN
Whanganui
Hot property news all bad
"Rentals in Whanganui hotter than Auckland", the headline trumpeted. It went on to identify that property yields in town were "off the chart compared with other areas". The entire tone was not just good news, but great news for Whanganui.
However, anyone with even a slight understanding of the city would understand that not only is this not good news for Whanganui, but actually very bad news.
What it means is housing in Whanganui is becoming increasingly unaffordable for most residents. The only people who benefit from this are the property investors, and I would hazard a suggestion that most are from out of town.
This situation led to an increasing problem of homelessness in places like Auckland, as property values went off the chart and landlords demanded high, unaffordable rents. This situation is likely to become increasingly evident here.
While our Government makes noises that make it seem like they are moving to address housing costs, the reality is that what they are doing is too little, and it will take too long to take effect. What they need to do now is introduce rent controls, building standards requirements, and legislation that prevent land banking. They are already acting to limit foreign ownership, although this does not address the issue of residential properties already owned by foreign owners or businesses.
MURRAY SHAW
Bastia Hill
Send your letters to: The Editor, Wanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
Fire crews were called to Tremaine Ave at 4am to tackle the blaze.