Showgrounds

It is a very sad day when a mayor and councillors lose the trust of their people. The Showgrounds unhappy saga has been so poorly handled and caused such anxiety among CBD property owners and retailers, placing their future in jeopardy, that they no longer have any trust or confidence in their elected members.

The unseemly haste with which a resource consent has been granted, without public consultation, is a disgrace and shows complete arrogance and contempt for any democratic process.

They have already silenced the voice of the sole opposing councillor, Alan Booth, and bound three new Timaru District Holdings Limited board members to a vow of silence on the subject.

This is rank despotism and has no place in Kiwi local body politics.

Timaru does not need and, indeed, cannot support two large retail complexes. This fact has been quite clearly stated by both reports commissioned by the council.

Do any councillors live in the southern Timaru area? Have they considered the distance these citizens will have to travel to reach this complex located on the northern-most boundary?

Have they thought about the potential huge increase in traffic on an already congested Evans St which doubles as State Highway 1 for through traffic?

These and many others are valid questions that should have been allowed if due diligence were observed.

Now, ironically, the mayor and councillors are making belated noises about CBD revitilisation in a feeble attempt to redeem our trust. If the horse has indeed bolted then it is too late.

The fault lies squarely with them. We have tried to talk to them but they have not only ignored our voices and pleas but also ignored the findings and advice of the very reports which they, themselves, authorised.

Stephen Newman Timaru