Election meeting. PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK
Getting among the voters
This is an open letter to all Napier councillors and all would-be councillors.
How many of your constituents have you called on? How many doors have you knocked on?
How many people have you asked to tell you their concerns and their hopes?
If you say you are too busy to knock on doors, then could it possibly be that you are too busy to be an effective councillor.
Do you imagine writing a few fine words in the paper or in a booklet is sufficient? My ward has four hopefuls.
One I see regularly, the other has knocked on my door, but the other two I have never met.
I wonder if they think it's sufficient to attend public meetings, where the personal contact is minimal?
At the last local body elections, one candidate knocked on 4000 doors, and flew in - unopposed this time.
Does that tell you something? Or are you so sure that you imagine you don't have to try?
Do we need you to fill seats? Have you forgotten that people count, individually and collectively, care about this city, have a concern for the welfare of each one of us?
At a meeting of over 200 people, how many do you think could have a word with you?
Isabel Morgan
Napier
Dambusters
Your correspondent Mr Thompson states that Cr Belford and I are "determined to bust the dam".
I would suggest to him that the promoters of the dam don't need us to "bust it", they are doing quite an excellent job of this themselves.
Despite chairman Wilson's announcement that it's all over, I would point out that at this very moment in time (two weeks from an election result) there is no commercial investor and there is no viable site to construct the dam on.
We didn't create this situation, they did it to themselves. I would also advise Mr Thompson to read the business plan which states that the dam requires 9000ha of extra dairy farms in Central HB to make the scheme viable.
We didn't make this up, this is actually what business the plan says.
In regard to economic growth, I would propose that Mr Thompson take a drive around Heretaunga where the growers are using their own capital to grow their businesses, their industry and our community.
This growth, which is funded by their own private capital, will vastly exceed the export and GDP growth that would occur as a result of this dam, which is subsidised by ratepayer and taxpayer capital.
The bottom line is, this is the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of HB, from the citizens of Napier where most of the $80m came from, to 200 Central HB farmers.
You are correct, Mr Thompson: "it is an outrage".
I am really enthusiastic about economic development and very supportive of farmers storing water to improve their businesses and their wealth. I just think they should pay for it themselves.
Rex Graham
Hawke's Bay regional councillor/candidate in local government election