Editor,
Your correspondent’s letter of 16th September 2010 in which he endeavours to take me to task over my publicising the conflicting advice in regard to the underpass illustrates the difficulty he is having in understanding the situation.
For him I will clarify the situation:
It is well known in Kāpiti that I have always supported the underpass.
The NZTA representatives at the Waikanae Community Board meeting, whose status within NZTA was not made clear at that meeting, made statements directly contradicting those reported in the Kāpiti Observer from the acting State Highway Manager Mark Owen. Their statements were, in my view equivalent to ” a bob each way at the TAB “. As to the Observer’s report, if it is inaccurate then he needs to talk to that publication. I had no reason to doubt that reported statement.
As a past Community Board Chairperson I am well acquainted with this issue and this lack of reassurance and certainty is of deep concern to all of Waikanae. With few members of the public in attendance at that meeting, I considered the issue to be of such importance that publicity was and is needed . Hence my press release.
Any reasonable thinking person would consider it appropriate for the Board to join me in publicly voicing their concerns over the mixed messages being delivered.
As to his attempt at ownership of the statement that ‘ we ratepayers may have to pick up the bill for the underpass’ is tenuous to say the least. It has and I quote ” been in the public domain ” for a very long time.
Whilst this issue of the underpass is of importance, I believe that the District is facing more important issues such as rocketing rate increases and as Waikanae’s Ward Councillor I will, in the first instance, be concentrating my efforts in these areas.
Tony Lloyd
Waikanae Ward Candidate
