Submissions on the LTCCP and water reticulation have closed.
The WBRA has made a submission after discussing the proposals with many of the members.
If you would like a copy of our submission please email
ericawy@gmail.com or waikawabeach@gmail.com The document is available in Word format.
A video clip of Erica Wyatt speaking to the Council LTCCP hearing is available on YouTube. Thanks to Veronica Harrod, of Virtuality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVnOrDIrMiY&feature=sdig&et=1245117078.78
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/2471246/Rates-hike-jeered-at
“Waikawa Beach residents want to lock the gates to their haven and throw away the key to stop outsiders creeping on to their patch.”
Well they’d have my vote!
“Mayor Brendan Duffy said growth was needed and more money to be generated through rates.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if rates increased purely to cover the cost of additional services provided (i.e. user pays), more money would not in fact be generated for council?
Or is dear Mr Duffy actually proposing growing his empire; and is this Waikawa Beach an area identified where money can be usurped?
It may be that 90% of homes are vacant 90% of the year; Waikawa Beach is a holiday home village; not a suburban extension of Levin. They are (by and large) second homes.
That might ostensibly mean that the home owners are ‘wealthy’ (at least, relatively wealthy) urbanites that have money to spare to plunge into a seaside holiday home; however it doesn’t mean they are easy targets from which “more money to be generated through rates”.
Part of the beauty, the wairau of Waikawa Beach is exactly that it is a small holiday home village.
There is a beauty to not having it all here; to not having chlorinated water; the same foul tasting bore water that Paraparaumu relies on each summer;
Think about it, Mayor; we want it like this; else we’d have bought in Paraparaumu, and settled for the suburbia you seem intent on creating.
You are quite correct – your dear Mr Duffy, and indeed all of the councillors, believe that ratepayers in all of the beach settlements are wealthy. They seem to have forgotten that many of the current ratepayers bought cheap land, built cheap houses/baches, and have no wish to see their paradise spoilt by becoming another Waikanae, Paraparaumu, or indeed even another Waitarere.
They think it is fair that we subsidise many of the services provided in Levin, such as sports grounds, community venues, footpaths, as well as the proposed upgrades to the sewerage and water treatment plants.
One can only hope that all our non resident ratepayers will enrol as ratepayer electors for the next election. I think your dear Mr Duffy may be in for a shock.