Council stuff ups: Letters, 10 March

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.

Hard to win with water

So, we aren't using enough water. It used to be that if you used too much the price rose to deter you from wastage.

Hard to win nowadays.

Well I'm doing my bit, my last water invoice told me that my wife and I were using enough for four people.

Perhaps we should name and shame the folks who aren't using more than their share.

How it can cost more to produce less water is beyond me, please tell me we aren't still paying for the meters.

That's another thing, why did we need meters?

Oh yes, so we would all pay our fair share for the water: or was it so we can pay rates on a percentage of our water use for wastewater.

Handy to have that when they decide to sell the water/wastewater utility to private enterprise.

Dan Russell, Welcome Bay

Too much too late

("Fixed water charge to double" BOP Times, February 28.) Another prime example of total mismanagement by TCC and TCC staff. As TCC and staff have been aware of a deficit for the past three years why hasn't there been a gradual increase of fixed water charges to cover this?

Hitting ratepayers with a doubling of the fixed water charge plus an increase at the same time of the volumetric rate in one go is just not on. This could be the last straw for some households.

I agree with Maurice O'Reilly that TCC have "jumped on the cash cow" as water is an essential to all households.

It's time TCC and staff were held accountable for these cock-ups and for letting a known situation like this drift on over three years. Heads should roll.

The statement that the problem has been exacerbated by "a succession of wet summers" also needs to be explained in detail by TCC.

Tauranga ratepayers, forward your submissions to TCC indicating your anger and refusal to accept this major increase in the fixed water charges proposed in TCC's draft plan for 2012-22.

Roger Bailey, Papamoa

Fed up with rises

As a pensioner on my own I'm beginning to wonder if myself, and no doubt many others like me, can keep paying all these rises. The rates are bad enough, but to me the new water price is an outrageous amount.

Perhaps some of the councillors need to live on a low income for a month or two and see how they fare.

Fed up.

Marie Hills, Gate Pa

Upgrade did job

When Tauranga Council introduced their plans to install water meters a number of ratepayers formed Water Action Group (WAG) to ask the council to upgrade the failing water system instead of spending multimillion dollars on meters.

WAG was severely criticised. TDC claimed Mount users having meters were using less water than Tauranga. Using TDC figures, WAG proved it was in fact the other way round - meter users used more. TDC then said, the meters at the Mount weren't working properly and meters would be replaced.

WAG again using TDC figures, showed that domestic use across the city was 453cu m a household a year. WAG stated the proposed water charge was too low - the applied charge was greatly increased.

WAG stated that with the new charge a large deficit would occur. This proved to be correct - price was again increased.

WAG figures having consistently been proved, stated that price must be correct from the start, but a low charge at first was needed to swing ratepayers behind TDC plans. Hence continuing deficits.

Tauranga now has a first-class water system as TDC have since upgraded it - what WAG had asked to be done in the first place.

John Brignall, Bethlehem

Council stuff ups

It's with dismay and indignation that I felt the need to write to you. Tauranga City Council mismanagement again.

Bob Clarkson has kindly made an offer to build affordable housing in a difficult economic climate and all he gets is aggravation and petty-minded bureaucracy.

The land is in Tauriko where we have The Lakes already, so there is obviously planning permission available for the "right person". Let it proceed.

My next gripe is water rates. Tuesday's Bay of Plenty Times states that water rates will increase by 50 per cent, blaming poor revenue and wet summers. No praise for locals being careful with a finite supply.

No increased costs, just revenue gathering. There is no justification for the increase. Get a grip, Tauranga City Council and realise we are in financially straightened times. (Abridged.)

F Wilcox, Pillans Point