Letters: Council should focus on infrastructure

Rotorua Lakes Council should focus on infrastructure, says a reader. Photo/File

Feedback on the LTP should stand for "Listen to People" as well as "Long Term Plan".

One thousand individuals, groups and organisations have provided feedback, the same number New Plymouth receives.

This year the mayor of New Plymouth offered a chance to win free rates for a year, to everyone who gave feedback on the LTP, hoping to at least double the numbers to 2000, but secretly hoping to triple to 3000.

It showed enterprise, and a willingness to listen to more people.

One Rotorua Lakes Council LTP decision I commend, is the change of location of the proposed $2.1 million skate park from the congested corner of Pererika and Ranolf Sts, to Kuirau Park.

However, when streets of households have been deprived of basic infrastructure,
such as stormwater and have 40-year-old crumbing footpaths and kerbing, with rates
poised to increase 7.86 per cent next year, it's a hard pill to swallow, seeing the wanted
luxuries, taking priority over the ratepayers' continual present-day needs and lamentations
of "back to basics".

They live in hope that council's core function will one day result in receiving the services and facilities rates are paid to provide.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, which is why we call it the
present.

When will the council gives gifts in the form of infrastructure presents to the ratepayers of today, rather than leave them with the mystery of where their rates have gone?

TRACEY McLEOD
Lake Tarawera

Road resealing

Two weeks ago part of Devon St West was resealed.

One could say why did they bother? On the corners most of the new seal has disappeared and even on the straights a considerable amount of the new seal has gone.

I notice today that the rest of Devon St West is being resealed.

I certainly hope this lasts longer than the first resealing.

I also trust our Rotorua Lakes Council is not going to pay for a job that only lasts less than two weeks. Would you?

DON MUNCASTER
Pomare