THE time must be drawing near for the local council to be called to account.  Its continuous frivolous spending and debt servicing appears out of control.  

Rate rises to fund unnecessary projects and funding of minority groups that do not contribute in any meaningful way to the enhancement and function of the general ratepayer must cease.

Funds should be targeted to our failing infrastructure and reducing debt.  

The borrowing to fund unnecessary, grandiose projects must cease and be redirected to services that have a functional outcome.  

It may well be that dissolving the current council and replacing it with a governmental-appointed administration should be considered.  

If ratepayers are satisfied with the performance of the council and the bureaucrats running it, so be it, but please then cease complaining about the high debt levels and rate rises.

K Ingram

Not core business

THE council is not listening.

Yes, I agree with the assertion the purchase of the Arawa building on The Strand has no impact on rates.

But it is financed with a loan from the harbour endowment fund and should appear on the council’s balance sheet, further reducing borrowing capacity for, for instance, that which will be required for the former Three Waters Reform programme.

Running an isite is not one of the council’s core tasks.

Whakatāne-based hospitality businesses should take care of a tourist information centre because they are benefitting from it.

Making sure that Three Waters are compliant, reliable, sustainable and supplying drinking water, according to whatever the standards the new Government will come up with is a council core task.

Peter Minten

Let sleeping dogs lie

YOU know what can happen when you awaken a sleeping dog that wants to stay asleep – it can bite you where it prevents you sitting down without pain in the posterior. Leave it alone.

Who is going to benefit from this “nice to have” new marina venture and who is going to pay for the ongoing costs. That’s not taking into account the cost of removal and safe storage of the toxic waste that presently lies asleep. Leave it alone.

What percentage of Whakatāne residents have a boat that needs mooring rather than being on a trailer.

I suspect fewer than 1 percent. I also suspect Whakatāne District Council doesn’t not know the answer.

Come on council, show some bottle and pull out now; don’t dig the hole deeper. It’s okay to reverse a decision and shows strength, rather than ignoring all the evidence and future costs that will be borne by the district’s residents through increased rates or rents.

If you cannot transfer the PGF monies to another purpose, give it back to Shane Jones.

He would be grateful as it could be used to fix Government issues such as the Aratere ferry, electricity supply or other infrastructure.

The district council would score some much-needed brownie points and residents would see real council leadership in action.

Keith Waldman