Happy to pay if waterways are fixed

Linda Hall, Assistant Editor, Hawke's Bay Today.

So our regional rates are set to increase by 10 per cent - the money intended for our waterways.

The money is to create an "environmental kick-start fund" which would "accelerate action on our hot spots" according to a Hawke's Bay Regional Council consultation document.

I personally don't have a problem with the increase if it is going to help our waterways. I want my grandchildren and their children to be able to swim and fish in our rivers and lakes just as I did growing up.

A couple of months ago I drove past the picturesque Lake Tutira. It looked lovely but the smell was terrible. It smelt like rotten corn - the stench lasted for at least five minutes as we skirted the lake and drove north.

How did our waterways get in this condition in the first place? Surely some of the regional rates paid in past years was earmarked for waterways.

This situation hasn't happened overnight - it's been years in the making and will likely take years in the mending.

The next lot of regional rates are not due until January 2018.

We can't afford to wait that long - our waterways need urgent attention.

The other thing that concerns me about the increase is that regional rates are due every year at the end of January.

A time of the year when many families are struggling to pay for school uniforms, and stationery not to mention the Christmas and New Year bills.

Perhaps the regional council should encourage people to pay quarterly rather than a one-off payment.

I look forward to seeing how the environmental fund is used.