Letters: Tauranga's housing shortage and rates comparison

Surely there is a way to fix Tauranga's housing shortage, a reader writes. Photo / File

Regarding the Tauranga housing shortage (News, January 4).

There's an old saying: Where there's a will, there's a way.

This obviously worked with the Mount walking track.

The new mayor was a new broom who swept clean, bringing in all parties who got stuck in and came up with an excellent solution at a fraction of the cost.

They had a collective will and found a way.

Surely this could be done with the housing debacle?

Rob Moore
Tauranga

Rotorua versus Tauranga rates

My wife and I attended a family get together for a birthday in Tauranga recently with four couples who were family.

The topic of rates came up during a discussion and we were appalled to learn that our council rates in Ngongotaha, where we live, were more than $200 more in Rotorua than in Tauranga.

These couples I mention live in good areas such as Maungatapu, Otumoetai and Greerton in large brick homes.

Their rates average about $600 per quarter while ours is more than $800 a quarter.

I thought Tauranga rates would have been more expensive. Then the Rotorua councillors receive pay rises.

It isn't any wonder Rotorua's CBD has so many shops empty as the rates are milking off their profits.

Perhaps someone on the council can explain why our rates are so much more expensive?

Also as a pensioner, our pensions don't go up by the same proportion each year as our rates do.

Is the council trying to drive us from our homes, even though we do get a small rebate at the beginning of the financial year? (Abridged)

Colin L Deans
Ngongotaha

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