Whanganui letters: The mounting rubbish problem

Perhaps Whanganui & Partners could assist the establishment of businesses to manufacture goods from our growing mountain of unwanted plastics, fibres, paper and cardboard. Photo / File

The mounting rubbish problem

A while back I watched a doco on the Mumbai slums and the multimillionaires who live and thrive there. Many of these super rich accumulated their wealth through the reuse of rubbish.

Perhaps our councillors and Whanganui & Partners should watch that doco and carry out other research and learn ways to gain a positive outcome from the rubbish disposal problem.

Perhaps Whanganui & Partners could assist the establishment of businesses to manufacture goods from our growing mountain of unwanted plastics, fibres, paper and cardboard.

A bit of imagination and a show of will instead of all the head shaking may solve some of this, nationwide, problem.

DENISE LOCKETT
Whanganui

Velodrome business case

We all expect the Chronicle to be diligent in the depth and accuracy of its reporting. When presented with the operative number for one event, the kapa haka nationals in 2023, of revenue to the region of $16 million (down to $14m when discounted to present day dollars and also lower than when held in Wellington in 2019 of $20m), the Chronicle chose to ignore this and went with an erroneous visitor number* instead.

The business case and economic modelling has been done for a covered stadium with new international standard cycling and speed skating tracks, new infill centre of track, viewing lounge, facilities to stage more than 31 types of sporting, community, cultural and entertainment events, with a seating capacity of 6000 (capable of being further increased). It also provides for the redevelopment of Snell Pavilion at Cooks Gardens.

It includes extra seating and a viewing lounge: Cost $26.3m. The 10-year economic value is $177m (seating an average of 3800 people at concerts), with an economic payback period of 2.3 years. The positive average cashflow per year to velodrome stadium is $820,000.

This is why the Whanganui District Council has made its $26.3m application to the Government for a grant (not loan). If granted it will provide 100 construction jobs, 500 new jobs and construction can be completed in 22 months from the architect being given the go ahead. [Abridged]

MARTIN VISSER
Whanganui

•Editor's note: The Chronicle reported in the August 10 article both the number of kapa haka event attendees quoted in the business case, and the number of attendees reported at last year's event.

MPs in Parliament

A letter in today's Chronicle (August 19) contains two major errors, which need to be challenged and repudiated.

In the first paragraph, the writers state "... the number of party votes decides the number of seats each party will have in Parliament, so long as they get across the 5 per cent threshold". A significant omission with this statement is if the minor party also wins an electorate seat, then the percentage earned will apply. For example, a party with 4.2 per cent of the party vote, plus an electorate seat, would then be entitled to have five seats – the electorate member and four list seats.

However, in the second paragraph, the writers go on with a serious error by stating "There are 60 electorate seats and 60 party list seats". This is wrong. The current MMP template in use calls for 71 electorate seats and 49 list seats. [Abridged]

OLIVER LANE
Whanganui

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