Letters to the editor: Tauranga City Council's budget 'blowouts' are concerning

Council budget blowouts should be concerning, a reader believes. Photo / Getty Images

The reported budget ''blowouts'' (News, February 11) has to be of concern to ratepayers and could mean even higher rate rises this year than earlier anticipated.

With the cost of this destination skate park blowing out from $670,000 to $2.05m, an increase of more than 205 per cent or $1.38m, this just does not seem to be acceptable or realistic.

An increase of 205 per cent is huge.

Rather than spending this additional amount maybe now is the time to either cancel or at least delay this project for another and better time as surely we have more important things to spend ratepayer money on.

In my opinion, it seems easy to partly blame Covid for cost increases but for the council to blame factors out of its control for a 205 per cent blowout is unacceptable.

Mike Baker
Bethlehem

National's missed chance

Unless I am politically unaware I think that the National Party has missed a perfect chance.

A chance to listen to the people by inviting three to four leaders of the demonstration to speak with them in the sanctity of an office.

They may well find that the vax mandate is but the tip of an iceberg of general discontent.

Remembering that 70 per cent of an iceberg we do not see.

A.D. Kirby
Pāpāmoa

Feral cat problem needs addressing

Your Monday edition has an article about the growing problem of feral cats in New Zealand.

It wasn't many years ago would-be politician Gareth Morgan's scheme advocating cat control was criticised.

His prophecy has come to pass and the feral cat population is swelling. As with unpopular predictions the politics has to catch up.

We have to stop thinking of this growing threat to native birds, lizards etc as a problem to sweep under the mat.

Any unowned, unneutered, unmicrochipped cat should now be considered a candidate for euthanasia.

This should be on every council's radar.

If it isn't already too late.

Lesley Haddon
Rotorua

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