Western News: January 09, 2018

4 Tuesday January 9 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Your Local Views
Rent rises cause for alarm
Ilam and
Upper
Riccarton
Residents’
Association
chairman Phil
McGoldrick
writes about
how the
Labour Government may
affect their community
and how landlords need to
step-up
Our new Government has
moved very swiftly to deliver
on some of its pre-election
promises.
Real estate has traditionally
thrived under a Labour-led
Government but early moves
suggest it may not be quite the
same during this term.
A ban on overseas buyers,
mooted changes to the Residential
Tenancies Act placing
further onus on landlords, the
almost inevitable imposition
of a capital gains tax, and serious
property investors may be
questioning the future viability
of what they do.
My wife and I are serious and
long-term residential investors
and will adapt to these changes,
albeit obvious the returns for
providing this essential and responsible
service will diminish.
Free university education and
more handouts to students concern
me because such handouts
are always inflationary.
The day that student loans
were introduced and students
were given unfettered and increased
spending power, student
rentals started to soar.
Early speculation that the next
quantum rise in rents will occur
as a result of further Government
handouts is a cause for
alarm. Landlords who seek to
gouge this handout in my book
will be socially reprehensible. As
a group, we must exercise social
responsibility.
My biggest beef as a fellow
landlord and chairman of the
Ilam Upper Riccarton Residents’
Association, is that far too
many landlords do nothing to
maintain their properties, and
more particularly their gardens
and grounds, and are decimating
our international reputation
as the Garden City – and I do
not limit my criticism to student
landlords.
I think it is essential in a
tenancy agreement that either
the landlord or the tenant is
burdened with grounds maintenance
so that uniform standards
are maintained in areas where
hard-working, decent families
with community pride do their
bit to maintain aesthetics and
protect their investments.
And property management
companies must perform as well
in protecting the assets of their
clients and upholding values in
the communities where they
derive their livings. In the forthcoming
year, my association will
introduce several initiatives to
ensure standards are brought
back to days gone by.
Readers respond to
the article about plans
for Denton Park’s mega
facility not including a
cricket pitch
Matt Reid –
Embrace change.
Think of the
benefits to the
wider community.
Diane Adams
– My sister said why
not put the library,
council building
and swimming pool
etc in the Islington-Waterloo
industrial area? There is plenty
of ground, not far from the
school, car parking, and over the
weekend (there are) more car
parks as most firms are closed . . .
Waterloo also has the bus service
going through there.
WESTERN NEWS
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
Readers react to
Wendy’s worker Rose
Williams’ disappointment
that her union and the
fast food chain are
negotiating on lieu days
after she won a
long battle on the
issue
Phill Laurie –
Everyone working
a public holiday
should get a day in
lieu. That would put
an end to fast food
restaurants and others
manipulating the system.
Stephan Lance Gardiner
– All fast food outlets monitor
that . . . the rule is you have
to have worked the same day
at least three weeks in a row
prior.
FAST FOOD
SAGA: After
winning a threeyear
battle against
Wendy’s for
lieu days, Rose
Williams does
not want to settle
on an agreement
between her
union and the
fast food chain.
PHOTO: ANDREW
KING ​
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