Mike Fletcher questions harbour spending, warning rising rates will hit struggling Ōpōtiki households hard.

Some years ago the then Ōpōtiki District Council was cock-a-hoop.

The lawmakers had won the go-ahead for a massive upgrade of the harbour.

The Labour-led coalition government had agreed to stump up $80 million, the regional council $20m, to fix the bar that had plagued shipping forever.

The long campaign to make Ōpōtiki the hub of aquaculture in the Eastern Bay – largely pushed by a former mayor, John Forbes – had borne fruit.

After a long period of slumber Ōpōtiki was going places again. Already, a mussel processing factory was being put up on Whakatōhea land. Again thanks to nearly $20m from the Government.

For several years the harbour was abuzz, generating good jobs, wages and opportunities for some local companies. When the work was finished, the mussel barges harvesting the succulent seafood were able to tie up at the upgraded town wharf.

The factory was there to process the shellfish.

When Whakatōhea got its handsome payout under the Treaty of Waitangi process, the deal included lots more ocean space for more mussels.

All this activity is aimed at spreading and strengthening Ōpōtiki’s commercial base, which has traditionally relied on farming, horticulture and some forestry.

The key phrase in this tale about a bright future is “commercial base”.

Since the Government okayed the upgrade, the council has stressed the harbour is a commercial entity, with options for recreational boaties.

The private marina to be sited north the north-west side of the harbour is an example of piggy-backing. This facility – now free of public appeal – will attract skilled workers, which will be no bad thing.

It comes as a surprise, therefore, to learn that our council has, in an information document about the next annual plan, earmarked $1m a year for the next three years for harbour stuff.

Specifically for the dredging of the channel between the big rock walls that stick out into the ocean to free ships from the bar.

The experienced journalist Diane McCarthy revealed this worrying provision in a story published in last week’s Opotiki News.

Most importantly, she revealed the draft rate rise for the 2026-27 year which begins on July 1 is 8.9 percent.

Our Mayor, David Moore, reckons the council has done well to achieve the 8.9 per cent.

Ratepayers including those on fixed incomes and those in Struggle Street – which is most of us these days – can be forgiven if they think he is in lala land.

The increase is well out of kilter with the acute lack-of-money-fix folk are suffering. And through no fault of their own.

World events and a previous government’s unbridled Covid spending – are hitting the pocket harder and harder.

And for a mayor to think the council has been “disciplined and pragmatic” to produce an increase of 8.9 percent ignores what is really happening.

As a gentleman standing in front of the supermarket meat counter said the other day: “I’m looking at stuff I can’t afford.” People nodded their support. No one bought. They moved on.

And meat is just one staple that has rocketed in price.

What about milk, butter, cheese, coffee, etc, etc, etc.

And the price of fuel and all its by-products. Transportation costs, etc, etc, etc. The world’s fragile economy, etc, etc, etc.

An 8.9 percent rate rise will add several hundred dollars to our cost of living.

Have we reached the sad state where the choice is paying rates over buying food, over fuel, over lots of essentials.

For some, perhaps many, we probably have.

Yet the mayor thinks otherwise.

And to add insult to wallet-whacking injury, ratepayers are under the threat of the council spending millions on harbour dredging.

The council cannot expect ratepayers to help fund aquaculture.

It must tell the Government – which is committed to reaping more food from the sea – Ōpōtiki cannot afford to subsidise government/private enterprise.

And why should ratepayers be involved anyway.