After reading the article on the KCDC in the Dominion there are some messages that I think all ratepayers should consider.
The CEO is a great administrator, fully deserving of a pay rise that exceeds the total income of many Kāpiti residents, however poor management under his watch resulted in $5m blowouts on the aquatic centre and council office refurbishment.
The council have spent many years working on the 86 page report on erosion over the next 100 years, yet “with the greatest of respect” homeowners are supposed to just simply understand all of these risks and also know why a 1m change in tide height today has no effect on shorelines but an estimated 1m increase in sea level in 100 years is ‘likely’ to move the shoreline close to 100m inland.
We are told that the government has forced this upon us, yet most councils in New Zealand haven’t applied information of this type to LIM reports yet, so clearly the timeline is driven by KCDC. Why does a report on events 50 100 years into the future have to be rushed out now, with no meaningful discussion or debate of its validity?
It is important to spend millions of dollars on a punitive water monitoring and billing regime that ratepayers don’t want, and from what I can see more is being spent on this than on actually securing a quality water supply for the future.
After reading the article it was hard not to conclude that the mayor was arrogant and disconnected and it is disappointing that someone with a green orientation and significant political experience can be so wasteful, and show so little empathy.
John Trott
Kāpiti
