Is Tasman District Council a weak council?

May 27th, 2011
by Jim Butler

Is Tasman District Council one of those councils the Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide MP, has identified as weak (Nelson Mail of May 26th)?

Is it not correct that Tasman District Council spent about 4 million dollars of rates money enlarging its District Office in Richmond in 2006? Is it not correct that Tasman District Council intends spending about a another 3 million dollars enlarging this Richmond Office still more? So does Tasman District Council now have a greater number of staff per number of its ratepayers, than most other councils in the country ?

Is it correct that most of Motueka urban ratepayers have found their rates will have doubled, if not trebled, in the last 10 years? And is it not likely that if Tasman District Council goes ahead with any of its proposed Options, B, C, D and E for reconstructing the Motueka River Stopbanks, Motueka urban ratepayers will find their rates will double or treble again ?

Comment by William Cleaver:
[Posted 28 May 2011]

Is it also correct that a Develop contibution is based on tourist numbers, yet tourist counts are down? Is it also correct that batch and holiday home owners are being stung for renting out their own property? Is it not true that reticulated water was made available to one street in Motueka at ratepayers' cost and no one connected to it? The list goes on. Our TDC has been recorded to have a massive debt yet they want to expand offices; go figure.

Comment by Jenni Rautenbach:
[Posted 30 May 2011]

And isn't it also true that one entire department of the council does not fit into the existing council building, making the new extension necessary? And isn't it also true that the aforementioned department (building consents) has had to grow hugely in the past 8 years because of legislation passed by central government that has made the growth of staff numbers necessary?

Comment by Grumpy Old Men (through William Cleaver):
[Posted 30 May 2011]

One could almost say again that is it not true that TDC has to increase its staff in a particular dept (building consents) because of growth in a particular zone (Richmond), yet the costs are shared by all? That's fine, we say, but if the cost is a cool 3 million for expansion we would love to see the plans of the the extension to TDC headquarters. Correct us if we are wrong but to build an extention for 3 million dollars, that will make expansion costs around 7 million for the past 5 years.

What on earth are building material made of? Have the TDC looked at the rental option? Would that not be cheaper than the money spent thus far and into the future? Everything does not have to be brand new, recycle if you can and show the community that you the TDC are doing your bit for us the ratepayers.

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