The 2030 group, along with councillors Rob Vinsen, Charlie Anderson and Philippa Baker-Hogan will continue to claim the new plant is a waste of ratepayers' money.
The bottom line is that the previous council made a sound and informed decision, and staff have bent over backwards to educate this group with facts and studies to justify every decision previous councils have taken.
Continuing in their campaign mode, this group recently placed an election-type, full-page advertisement in the local newspaper.
The group now blame mayor Hamish McDouall for sabotaging their attempts to initiate action on the plant by refusing to table motions they put forward. These motions were political naivety, impossible to implement and were void of reality.
Mayor McDouall must be complimented for refusing to accept motions that would have embarrassed our council.
It is time for this council to come together. It is time for this council to make the hard decisions -- how can we grow our economy; how can we reduce unnecessary costs; how can we be more efficient; what under-utilised assets can we sell to reduce debt?
STEVE BARON
Whanganui
Hard hats
I chuckled when I saw David Bennett (Pacific Helmets and councillor) offer Winston Peters a helmet to use for when he enters the Pike River mine. David did not expect to see it come back. Will Winston take up the offer or is he New Zealand's version of Indiana Jones?
Now I recall that David Bennett fought for his place on the council primarily with the aim of reducing the cost of the WWTP scheme. He wasn't the only one.
On Tuesday, December 13, he and three colleagues (fellow councillors) published a progress report.
Then followed, in the Chronicle, a reply by the CEO and some gloating by the mayor.
On Thursday, December 22, David Bennett and his six fellow musketeers, who campaigned to have the plant and costs reviewed, admitted defeat.
Should these councillors stand aside or should they turn to Pacific Helmets for a helmet that also offers ear protection?
ROBERT SNIJDERS
Marton
For the record
Further to the op-ed from Mayor Hamish McDouall (Chronicle, December 27), I quote his words: "While it is correct that Rob Vinsen, on behalf of seven councillors, wrote to me days after the election seeking a special council meeting, he should have known neither of us could act in office until we were sworn in on October 26, almost three weeks later".
In the flurry of communications after the election Mayor Hamish's recall is astray.
The email sent on October 10 did not seek a special meeting of council for the same reason given by Hamish above -- we were not sworn in. It was sent in support of the October 31 workshop announced by him and requested that parties who held different views to council's usual advisers were given the opportunity to talk to councillors. Suggestions were the Affco group, Tasman Tanning, their professional advisers, MWH Global, Colin Hovey, wastewater consultants Mott McDonald and the Ministry of Health.
The mayor refused point-blank to allow presentations from MWH Global, Colin Hovey, Mott McDonald, and the Ministry of Health. However, after a further request, Affco and Tasman were given an opportunity to present. As I remarked at that meeting, it was the first opportunity given to councillors to hear from these companies first-hand.
More importantly, the email also asked that the chief executive suspend the construction contract until a review took place and that immediate action was taken to cease any work that might result in an expensive remedial cost should a review result in a decision to reinstate the in-situ lagoon-based plant. At that stage no major earthworks had started.
I repeat that when the construction contract was signed, just 17 days before the election, the path towards the $41.2m plant was going to be very costly to deviate from. As time went on, and work proceeded, it became impossible.
While the $41.2m activated sludge plant is now a certainty for Whanganui ratepayers, any suggestion there is unanimous support for that option is not shared by at least seven councillors.
ROB VINSEN
Whanganui District councillor
