Letters to the editor: Bin changes are a rubbish result

A reader says the new rubbish system final decision was foisted on ratepayers without consultation on the final choice. Photo / File

OPINION

Re the new rubbish system.

The final decision was foisted on ratepayers without consultation on the final choice.

Council staff recommended that no more consultation should take place and that the vote should be made in secrecy.

And along the way a pay-as-you-throw scheme was never considered.

Interestingly, about the same time, Western Bay of Plenty Council chose this option.

So, we end up with the frugal subsidising the wasteful.

All rubbish and recycling will still end up being trucked out of Tauranga and dumped in someone else's backyard. Just more trucks with sorted material.

The rubbish pick-up will be fortnightly (backward step).

The current council plastic bags have printed on the side they are made of recycled plastic. A second use for this plastic.

We need to reduce our waste, but there are better ways than just moving around the collection process.

This council has, in my view, wasted an opportunity to be progressive and instead it has followed every other council.

Also, rather than "Think Local, Buy Local" it has given the complete rubbish process to a Chinese-owned multinational company.

Philip Brown
Papamoa Residents & Ratepayers Association

Moving in the wrong direction

The gross sovereign-issued debt level as at June 30, 2020 was $134.2 billion.

National challenged Labour's stance that it would not increase tax, or introduce a wealth tax, presumably to repay the massive debt it has incurred on the taxpayer's behalf over the last three years.

However, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern promised that she would not increase tax and that National's claims were simply "desperate" in the lead-up to the election.

Labour has a plan. And we all know that usually failing to plan is planning to fail.

Its election campaign slogan was: "Let's keep moving".

Let's hope New Zealand doesn't keep moving in the wrong direction, from pre-Labour surplus to post-Labour massive deficit.

Watch this space.

Tracey McLeod
Lake Tarawera

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