RE: Western Bay of Plenty District Council spending on cycleways.

I've lived in Katikati all my life and love the place and feel passionately for the people here. But current and proposed expenditure makes the hair stand up on my neck.

What absolute nonsense! For business reasons I've had to travel frequently south of Rotorua. Politicians there in their wisdom, or lack of it, have built a 10km long concrete cycleway south to the Maori village, which must have cost thousands of dollars.

In the last 10 trips I've only seen four people on it - makes you think! Currently, I read that our Western Bay of Plenty District Council is wanting to spend $100,000 a year for 10 years – so $1million – building a cycle way from Omokoroa to Tauranga ,presumably to let our people spend in the city. Hey, yeah right!

And Guess what - Tauranga City, which is many times our size, does not want to contribute.

Add in the memorial hall frontage fiasco, the museum debate, huge expenditure on a 60-year-old fire engine garage and a new library few want - and you can see why we're one of the most indebted councils in the country with one of the highest rates of all 67 councils in nz.

Then you will realise why I – a fifth generation in Katikati man – who loves the place cannot sleep at night, when our elected members support this economic madness, which is crippling us and driving away many potential citizens and likely buyers of real estate in our area.

What must we do stop this fiasco? Perhaps they should copy Thames-Coromandel District Council, which, under a new Mayor applied private enterprise principals and innovative thinking and managed to hold their rates for three years. Hey, it could happen with public pressure through the current submission process. Thank goodness for the local new ratepayers group.

N Mayo, Katikati.