OPINION: One Hamilton ratepayer's view of 10-Year plan

A view of the Waikato Regional Theatre and Embassy Park from Victoria Street. Photo / Jasmax

You have until Monday to tell the city council what you think should be in a new 10-year-plan for Hamilton.

An unprecedented 550 people have already made formal submissions. One of them is ratepayer Rachel Tordoff, whose thoughts and views seem typical of what Hamilton News is hearing directed to our elected representatives through the plan process and via social media.

Editor Peter Tiffany spoke with Rachel. In her own words, here is what she had to say:

'The proposed rates increases are heartbreaking to a majority of us that have fixed incomes.

Every one of the people in support of a rates increase have flexible incomes. When is someone going to listen and give the average person some breathing space?

This keeps me awake at night. I have a beautiful home which is looking more and more likely that I will be having to sell as I cannot afford the continuous increases in everything. And if one more person says anything about this regional theatre being OK, I think I will scream.

Let's just stop the 'nice to have' spending and focus (even for a few years) on the 'must haves'.

I am looking at renting out a room to pay my rates. I have been a single mum for 18 years. Now my children are at uni and I'm finally able to have a rest, but if rates go up, insurance goes up and other things go up.

Why are we spending on a new theatre when we are struggling to pay for our needs?

We need to stop and take a breath over the regional theatre and Garden Place. The whole thing gets me rarked up.

Then council invites submissions but I'm not paid to have ideas on running the city — that is the council's job

A reasonable rate rise is OK but what is being proposed is horrific. Yes we are a growing city and we must grow — yes. Infrastructure and spending is expected to keep up. But do we have a goal, what is the urgency to grow?

Stop the spending on things we don't need.

I work in Grantham St. People are in Lala Land if they think there is room for more parking if a theatre is built at that end of town. As for putting cones in a paddock to make sure the trucks can get in there, how hard is it going to be adding pedestrians, cars, emergency services and Friday night traffic to a stupid one-way main street into the mix.

This proposition is so ludicrous, not only for parking — but the parking they are offering is not only dangerous but totally inadequate.

Even when Founders Theatre was still open, who even went there? You hardly ever saw it full when events were on.

We have the Meteor and Clarence Street theatres and other venues now. If that lemon that is Claudelands is not up to standard for some shows, how about spending some money and upgrading it?

Think of that $30 million dollars the council wants to put towards the regional theatre — what we could do for families with that amount of money?

Yes, I have done OK, but I have worked hard, I own my own home and have raised two children but I am seriously looking at selling, the way things are going and have been looking online at house prices. I know my house would sell in an instant. I have even had people off the street come and ask if I'm thinking of selling .

Honestly, I can't sleep at night sometimes, worrying about how I am going to pay the bills.

I have looked at getting a second job but I would move into a higher tax threshold and would have to work 80 hours a week to make it worthwhile. Even making a submission to the council is not easy. Then the council says come to a meeting and have a say. I know my submission will make no difference and I am not sure I feel better making it but it was 30 minutes out of my life I decided to take.

I don't have time to go to council meeting. We don't have a silver bullet to solve all the problems, but I'm not paid to work it out — they are. I just feel like no one is listening.