Your letters
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Mental Health Week is pertinent to us all as our state of mental health reflects who we are as people, unlike other parts of our being that can be disadvantaged in some way.
I think this week should be seen as a time for us all to reflect on our choices and to determine honestly if they are contributing to our wellbeing, happiness or our interests and those of others, or not.
If we decide they aren't then all is not lost ... the options are continuously with us to make good choices, some that may even bring about the change and transformation of ourselves and our lives if we can find the courage to make such major life-changing choices.
There may be an ultimate and absolute unchanging reality, but in most ways we create our own reality through our choices which then becomes our personal experience of this life. That is in fact within our control.
My own journey through mental health issues has consisted of this sort of transformative choice making. That sense of personal empowerment, control and freedom is available at any time, I believe, for anyone with a degree of honesty and courage to markedly change their experience of this life for the better.
PAUL BABER
Whanganui
Re your newspaper article concerning the council's decision on the Port of Whanganui (News, August 21).
I am at a loss to understand where your reporter read in my submission that I thought that the development of the port was "too complicated".
This statement was never made. My submission was on the financial viability of the port given it has had to be subsidised by ratepayers through rates and government through the harbour endowment fund - for almost a century.
My submission centred on ratepayers having to subsidise many entities in this town already. The council has been working on this project since 2015 and did a costing in 2016. No business plan or costing has been published.
A two-year project to the tune of $55 million needs to be closely scrutinised along with the business and guaranteed committed users.
I am disappointed that the local paper has not been covering this in newspaper reports, as it is a concern to all ratepayers given the ever-increasing rate burden on the people on fixed incomes.
Because of Covid the rate increase was set at 1.5 per cent. My rates went up 5 per cent on last year. If the rates had been increased to the 4.5 to 5 per cent that was the original increase I estimate that my rate increase would be 10 to 12 per cent.
On top of this are the Horizons rates and the cost of work on the river/moles etc will have to be borne by the Whanganui ratepayers.
As it is public interest it would be beneficial for the Chronicle to have an investigative reporter follow up on these council activities, especially given the number of costly projects already needing ratepayer money.
T MULLINS
Whanganui
