Councils and water

Why do we vote in local body elections

. . . apparently so that through our local councils, ratepayers can have their own input into the building of local infrastructure and social amenities, as this country’s political system is known to be a democracy, and that is how democracies are supposed to work . . . right? In the case of Waipa District Council and overtures from Hamilton, which has its own particular rating and water supply problems, Waipa has on two distinct occasions turned down Hamilton’s kind offer of a semiamalgamation business-plan in favour of proceeding with purely local needs and infrastructure. Putting aside rumours of some rural landholders who may have aspirations that a single regional water company may for business reasons be persuaded to expand to include rural properties on ‘‘domestic’’ reticulation and thus elevate the worth of such land holdings immensely, the idea that any government might set aside the clear democratic vote of our local authority, is politically repugnant. To impose an alternative which could in spite of official denials, create a cash-cow which would eventually see Waipa ratepayers subsidising big-city shortfalls, and possibly putting more ratepayer money into the pockets of already rich business people, is no sort of democracy I know. Dennis Pennefather

Te Awamutu