Letters: Numbers at council table, Rubbish and recycling, Southern, Molyneux visit

Photo / File

Numbers at council table
While I appreciate any feedback from our community, I did wonder about what side of the bed Ms Webb got up from, as her tirade seemed much more an old and angry go at politics of the past, than any reasonable discussion on the pros and cons of more or fewer councillors, through the Representative Review.

However to correct a couple of facts, I was certainly very up-front about my "Vision" connections in my first term of council but bravely pulled away when I refused to toe the party line over some key policies and have been proudly independent since. I also gave up much more lucrative salaries in my health profession than the "stipend" on council and DHB to commit to working on behalf on the community and I came on council after the decision to build the previously failed wastewater treatment plant.

Back to the Representative Review - I haven't declared how I'd vote around less or more councillors, although coming in 11th last election, you can't accuse me of looking after my own interests. The points I raise are that council shouldn't put off this decision to a poll at the 2019 election, as we are required to make a decision this year about number of councillors etc, to effect any change in the 2019 election. We have had no pre-consultation around that, nor shown valid reasoning behind retaining the status quo.

This current council of 12 plus the Mayor seems to hit the headlines less but I've personally never seen such a lack of diversity of opinions in my 12 years on council. In my view it's not about the numbers but about hard working, caring and courageous decision makers who make an effective council and DHB.
Philippa Baker-Hogan MBE
Councillor

Rubbish and recycling
Rubbish bag and a recycling collection is up for discussion and we are again told that the council is considering surveying the community on this subject.

If the council were to follow the communities' views - and historically their record in the past on this is poor - there are issues which need consideration before we give our views, as some carefully crafted statements have been made by those interested in establishing a ratepayer-funded recycling collection.

These I view as attempts to fudge the difference between the existing user-paid rubbish collection and the proposed ratepayer-paid recycling collection. Rubbish collection is a council core activity while a recycling collection is not.

Further, not all our community are ratepayers. Central Government offices, renters, tourists and visitors pay no rates and a ratepayer-paid recycling collection used by these non-ratepayer community members would be fully paid for by the ratepayers. Accordingly, any new activity undertaken by the council must be at the lowest possible cost for the ratepayers who receive the service and at a full cost recovery from non-ratepayers who may use it.

I specifically mention "ratepayers who are to receive the service" as where I live, there has never been a recycling service and I still remember the Mayor and councillors' intention to charge for a sewerage service which was also never available.

Finally, it was only three months ago that the Chronicle reported the council's intention of a proposed "household survey to test support" for rubbish and recycling collection which would have only the council preferred option. As I said at that time, a survey containing only a "preferred option" is a "take it or leave it" ultimatum. If the council does carry out their survey I hope that it is not an ultimatum of, "you can have any choice as long as it is this one".
V W Ballance
Westmere

Southern, Molyneux visit
I see Auckland Mayor Phil Goff is denying the public the "freedom of choice" to see, listen to, or view Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern.

Their denial is based on the presumption that the venue is "ratepayer funded" and it "may disturb the peace and become a Health and Safety issue".

Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese has excluded Bruce Moon, a retired physicist and historian, from speaking forthe same reasons.

How crass that either of these elected persons believe all of their ratepayers follow their personal view of the world. Ratepayer-funded venues should be available for hire by everyone, no matter their political or cultural viewpoint.

Any untoward or illegal actions by protesters can be dealt with by police.

Were these undemocratic mayors backed by a council resolution or are they dictators and promoters of the regressive left/Marxism/Socialist view?

Maureen J Anderson
Tauranga