How do you beleive the council has handled the whole Waitara Leasehold Issue ?
Has it inproved the relationship between the people of Waitara and the Council ?
Has it inproved the lives of the people in Waitara ?
John
Candidate Answers
Candidate
Answer
1) From what I have seen of the matter, NPDC\'s handling of the Waitara Leasehold issue has been appalling, characterised by a high-handed arrogance and an eagerness to enforce unjust and destructive policies based on misinformation, fabrications or inappropriate policies -much the same as with practically every other issue, I\'m afraid.
2) I have spent quite a lot of time in Waitara and it is clear me that the community has been severely neglected. From what I have learned when speaking with people, a large portion regard the presently constututed NPDC as their enemy. (That is true for many people in other parts of the district, of course).
As mayor, I will endeavour to correct that situation as quickly as possible.
3) As I indicated above, Waitara has all the signs of having been left to languish, and many of the people seem to be \'hanging on by their finger nails\'. From what I have seen, the lives of very few people in the Waitara district have imporoved over recent years -and many complain of inordinate rate rised for which they have received little benefit. Unfortunately so much money has been squandered by the present council it will be difficult to pull the district back from the brink, but the people of Waitara can be assured that with me as mayor they will get a fair hearing and a fair allocation of resources.
Einstein said it was a sign of madness to keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. If people keep voting for the same people or for the same [corporate] agenda they will continue to get the same. Only by voting for someone different can they expect anything get anything different.
Time has almost run out: voting papers need to be in the post on Wednesday, or hand delivered by Friday.
I believe to date the council has not been upfront and honest with Waitara Leaseholders. In the past they were told they could freehold and now they can\\\'t.
When they were first told they could freehold, people in their 40\\\'s would have been able to borrow the money to freehold now these people are retired and on limited incomes and therefore not likely able to freehold now. Plus the value of the land would have increased dramatically in this time.
What I would like to do if elected is be briefed on what\\\'s happening with Waitara and get someone from the Treaty office to Waitara for a public meeting.
