Your views: Readers' letters

WDC's busy year

With Whanganui District Council approaching the completion of its business for 2017, I offer these observations on behalf of the four councillors who were elected under the banner "Whanganui Beyond 2030".

Our team, with the astute assistance of three other councillors who supported our stance of keeping rate increases low and with the prudent consideration of the remaining councillors and endless hours of hard work by council staff, were able to deliver Whanganui a modest 2 per cent rate rise for the 2017-18 year.

Within this constraint the council still delivered across-the-board targeted levels of service and striking economic, cultural, and social assets to our district — a testament to the diligence and work ethic of the council's staff from the top down.

The upcoming year poses huge challenges around continuing this delivery in a climate of increasing costs, increasing community expectations, and increasing central government demands upon us within an environment of decreasing financing tools. We are amidst the onerous task of developing the 2018-28 Long-term Plan, the draft of which will be presented for public consultation in the second quarter of next year.

As tough going as this is, it has so far been an absolute pleasure to work within such a collaborative council, led by a passionate mayor and guided by council staff who continue to display the enthusiasm they do in leading that work.

There will be both brickbats and bouquets levelled at and delivered for this long-term plan; there always are. But, rest assured, in spite of the flak we sometimes take (because it is your money we take to do these things) we are determined that what we deliver will continue to improve our district, making it undoubtedly the best district within New Zealand in which to live.

I am joined by my "Beyond 2030" colleagues, councillors David Bennett, Murray Cleveland and Graeme Young in thanking all Whanganui constituents who have engaged with us and other councillors this year for your valued contribution to our role.

We wish all Whanganui the best for a Happy Christmas and New Year holiday season.

ALAN TAYLOR
Whanganui District Councillor

Pole position

A recent news item and photo (Chronicle, December 7) highlighted a collision between a car and a power pole.

Such an event is not uncommon in our city, where the local Wanganui Rangitikei Electric Power Board was disbanded as the result of a National Party Government policy that set in motion the process whereby the Australian-owned company Powerco has control of the electricity reticulation system.

In Wanganui large concrete power poles have been placed near the kerbing of the roads.

Perhaps those engineers responsible for the positioning of poles and light standards could learn from our neighbouring city, Palmerston North, where power cables are placed underground and any necessary poles are situated close to the boundaries of buildings,
not close to the side of the road.

JOHN STEPHENSON
St John's Hill

Sister city

The Sister city relationship Wanganui has with Nagaizumi-cho worked well, especially during Mayor Poynter's time. It did what President Eisenhower hoped it would; that is "foster mutual respect and understanding."

Nagaizumi chose Wanganui and Mayor Poynter extended the hand of friendship, which is all Nagaizumi wanted. Wanganui benefited far more from this relationship than did Nagaizumi. We get regular student visits and while the relationship was strong their council would organise tourism with schools.

In the early days they bought property and established the Friendship Centre in Duncan St; it paid for a manager and paid the rates. They have, via the friendship group, sponsored teachers and students stays for a year to Japan and quietly through the good offices of the late Tomonoko Nakemura donated $10,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund during one of our floods.

Culturally, they used to conduct Japanese tea ceremonies and built a Japanese tea house. That house now stands at Bason Reserve and they continue to fund it to this day.

Our council has visited Nagaizumi, enjoyed their lavish hospitality and been shown their industries. They, in turn, have been to see some of our industries, and have sometimes been given a mayoral welcome and a cup of tea.

Now it seems economic greed has reared its ugly head, and there are people in our community who expect a financial gain.

What some people don't realise is very few councillors and their economic development groups are good at establishing long-term economic advantages for Wanganui.

The amount of money Wanganui has spent on its friendship with Nagaizumi has been well spent because it put us on the map, not only in Nagaizumi but also in the wider Japan.

RANDHIR DAHYA
Whanganui

Rubbish bags

Like many people, I recycle cardboard, paper, plastics, glass etc and compost vegetable matter. In consequence there is very little waste consigned to landfill, usually amounting to one small rubbish bag full every five to six weeks.

However, there are occasions when I have visitors, which can produce two to three bags of refuse for collection.

The present system of stickers allows for these fluctuations on a user-pays basis. If a wheelie-bins-only regime is introduced, presumably at a weekly flat fee, how will such variations be accommodated?

Will it be necessary to take excess refuse to the transfer station, where fees are vastly disproportionate compared with stickers?

There will also be weeks when a bin, costing more than the present stickers, is paid for but not used. Could this be a way of disguising a rise in prices and profits?

It is probably time for our local council to show leadership.

JOHN S SLADE
Whanganui

Send your letters to: The Editor, Wanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz