My Account
Blow from Council
I read with disbelief the report of the Interdominion Schools Team Sailing Regatta held recently at Algies Bay (MM Oct 17). What a knockout blow these school sailors received from the Auckland Council. Why did it suddenly demand a resource consent application to hold this event? No such consent has been required in the past. How can the Council justify using the Resource Management Act to charge hardworking, volunteer organisers of the event $5000? Surely, that was never the intention of the Act. The Council claimed $2000 of this sum was charged for an “administration fee.” What? How much should rubber-stamping a form cost? Then we learned that an outside firm had to be paid a further $3000, to “do the consent.” Whatever did that involve? No, this resource consent is a tax levied by this Council on a youth sports activity to pay the salary of an unnecessary administrator. At the same time as it spends millions of our rates on cycleways and walking paths to promote good health in communities, it is taxing healthy, sporting events for teenagers! Auckland Council should be following the lead of Sir Peter Blake. It should be giving young sailors a hand up and encouragement. Come on Rodney ratepayers, let Auckland Councillors know what we think of their greed!
Anne Smith, Warkworth
What a disgrace
It is a disgrace that Auckland Council is charging the NZ Team Sailing Association $5000 to run a kids’ yachting competition. The event has been run five times before at no charge and now the greedy Council (hiding behind the Auckland Unitary Plan) want to make it almost impossible for a group of committed volunteers and teenagers. Where is the support from our local councillors? I guess the revenue will go towards the $280,000 the Council spends feeding themselves at meetings.
Neil Hatfull, Warkworth
Rethink link
I am sure I am not alone in being dumbfounded at the plan to have the Matakana link road exit onto SH1 at a ‘T’ intersection about 400m south of the interchange (MM October 3).
This is more mindboggling than the reduction from four lanes to two and not having a connection through to take Sandsdpit road traffic. We all know what’s going to happen come holiday weekends. It will be another planning masterpiece like Hill Street. What could possibly be the reasoning behind not modifying the interchange? It must have some pretty powerful logic behind it to overcome the commonsense of having it be part of the interchange. Would be nice if we were told why.
Tom Burton, Snells Beach
