Council deserves scrutiny for spending missteps

IT seems timely now that we have been told of rates increases to come that we should be looking at some of the wasted expenditure of previous and present councillors and employees.

We have coloured dots in George St that cost thousands and didn’t do a thing, and intersections around various parts of the city that had to be removed and replaced — some as many as five times.

We have had planter boxes placed up and down the main street and now some have migrated to Mosgiel. Many are sitting at Tahuna Park showgrounds, tucked away and dying.

All of this wasted money could be used on some of the failing infrastructure that we have.

When are these people who make these wasteful decisions going to be made accountable for their failures?

Maybe if some of them were made to pay for their wasteful decisions, they might think differently about how they spent our money. It might be timely that the ones at the top should be looking a bit closer at what we waste our money on.

Leigh Pickford

Andersons Bay

Maori wards

THE issue of Maori wards is not going to go away. Indeed, it is set to be very polarising.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta is making a mistake in forcing Maori wards on to local authorities and will disappoint those who are enthusiasts for the idea.

The issue is about power and influence. Wards do not have much power; they struggle between themselves to get the attention of the local council.

Power is with the council and council committees.

Strategic influence is much more effective — this happens here with the Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council.

Richard Parata

Karitane

Reunion

St Clair Primary School: 125th celebrations, June 46. Past and present pupils, staff, families and friends encouraged to attend. Registrations: 125years@stclair. school.nz or the school office (03) 4558199.