Te Awamutu Courier - August 18th, 2011 - Te Awamutu Online

2 TE AWAMUTU COURIER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
YOUR LETTERS
We need to be conscious
of economic realities
If we were sitting in good
economic times, or even stable
economic times, Don Buchanan’s
letter ‘Small price to pay for great
facility’, would seem reasonable,
all pie in the sky claims of the
velodrome garnering a wave of
commerce and wealth into the
region aside.
But we are not in good economic
times, and even the apparent
short-term recovery of international
stock markets is simply
reactive economics, hardly likely
to hold up once the economies
settle back to a natural level for
the world circumstances.
Here in New Zealand, our local
bodies, especially in the Waikato,
8290454AA
are sitting on the twin horns of a
financial and ecological dilemma
relating to our existing fiscal and
ecological debt on the one hand,
and our core facility maintenance
and growth, which is needed just
to get them up to scratch for the
existing population and commerce
requirements, on the other.
Then we have to cater for the
growth factor.
It is quite clear from what
Government spokesmen have said
about how the rebuilding of Canterbury,
and the style that businesses
and others are wanting for
their city (Christchurch), that
insurance and the Earthquake
Commission fund will come
D day soon for velodrome
project funding answer
D day looms for the velodrome
complex at St Peter’s School.
It has been an interesting debate
with strong views on either side.
It’s not that Cycling NZ won’t get
their velodrome, it just means it
may be at another venue — Palmerston
North or Auckland.
Waipa voted 12 to 1 in favour of
granting $1,000,000 to the velodrome
complex with four conditions that
must be met before the money is
given.
The original conditions cannot
be addressed or altered.
I say original because there has
been some variance on the wording
of them.
Whichever way you look at it, we
would be giving away $1,000,000 and
increasing our borrowing and debt
by that amount.
As for the Waikato Regional
Council, you would have thought
granting money to sporting clubs
was outside their normal spectrum
of operation.
One concern is some of the
submissions may be from students
or from outside of the area.
Although this is not illegal, you
would have thought only those
directly affected could put in
submissions.
Sporting events and venues have
a long history of losing money, the
same type of presentation on how
beneficial they will be to communities
has been heard many times
before with disappointing outcomes.
VERN WILSON
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nowhere near accounting for that
cost. It will eventually come upon
the taxpayer and possibly ratepayers
as well.
In the need to cut spending for
the projected cash strapped economy
of the next few years, Government
is already focussing on ways
to take back welfare spending, by
targetting benefits and what they
can be spent on.
Local ratepayers have yet to
feel the weight of the fiscal debt we
have for ‘legitimate’ ratepayer
needs, but once they do, the wants
of Mr Buchanan and co will be no
small thing, as far as ratepayers
will then be concerned.
DENNIS PENNEFATHER
Velodrome a vote
for youth of future
Waipa/Te Awamutu is a great
place to live.
How lucky we are to live here
when we see the turmoil going on
around the world.
We can justly be proud of our
community and appreciate the
work done by our elected local
government. An important part of
their work is continuing to go
through the due process of improving
the infrastructure and facilities
for us and opportunities for
our youth to excel, as they do in all
directions.
One of the most exciting opportunities
to do this is the proposed
Cycling Centre of Excellence.
Cycling is not a sport we are
particularly passionate about,
however, it seems there is a tremendous
amount of good will by
the Government, corporate
sponsors and St Peters School in
funding 75% of the cost of the
Centre.
Is an extra $6 per ratepayer per
year too much when we could be
building an ongoing asset that will
attract national and international
competitors to our district.
We should not be swayed by
those with their own agendas or
the negative brigade but place our
faith in our youth — as we live in
Waipa, The Home of Champions.
JOHN and JODY
OBERLIN-BROWN
Case of crying over spilt milk?
The Government decision to
hold a Select Committee inquiry
into the retail price of milk after a
Commerce Commission finding
that there are no grounds for such
an inquisition, is just populist,
poppy-cock politics.
Yet another example of politicians’
cavalier attitude towards
spending other people’s money for
political purposes.
In response to an ill-informed
public outcry, the Government
obviously believes it ‘must be seen
to be doing something’, especially
in election year. No matter that the
considerable expense and time
involved will prove a waste of
money.
After much huffing and
pounding of chests, not to mention
endless talk and political
grandstanding, the outcome will
be yet another lengthy report,
quietly shelved and discreetly forgotten.
Dairy farmers have good reason
to believe politicians are using
them as scapegoats for political
purposes. They are being poorly
served by a supposedly proenterprise
government.
VINCE ASHWORTH
Ongoing costs associated with a velodrome
The Home of Cycling Trust has
run a very strong advertising campaign
in the press and on radio
asking for support for the
velodrome.
Many of these advertisements do
not tell the whole story, such as that
in the Courier on August 16 which
stated that the velodrome will be a
community asset — it will not, as it
will be owned by the HOC and built
on private land.
They also fail to mention that all
the proposed programmes will cost
the user at least $15 per hour or an
annual subscription of between
$150 to $350 (Rob Waddell’s figures).
Then how do the general public
get out to this velodrome?
Hitchhike? I don’t think many
parents would like their children
biking out to St Peter’s on such a
busy state highway.
If it is such a good idea and as
profitable as they state, why do they
need ratepayers’ money?
B.P. MORRISON
Race in for great deals
240 Sloane Street (Opposite Countdown) Phone 871 4816 www.teacycles.co.nz