A response to 'The Western Front”:
I fully agree that Katikati is the chosen place to be in the article by Brian Anderson in The Weekend Sun of 7 January, but that is where it stops.
The poor image that he maintains that Katikati has, is his personal opinion, and I don't believe reflects the view of the majority of Katikati residents. This view is purely based on the past development of the town with 'buildings show little character” and that we have 'one of the ugliest backsides of any town”. This view then goes on to criticise the new town centre plan and the timing and funding of the various improvements that have been proposed.
The town centre plan was developed from two previous plans and was further widely consulted with the community. It also had input from an Auckland firm of urban design experts at no cost to the community. The community has always wanted to see the town centre concentrated rather than see it develop like a ribbon down the main highway. This is exactly what the new town centre plan has achieved with future development focusing North of Jocelyn Street around the Talisman Drive and overlooking the Uretara River.
The timing of projects was always done on a NEED basis. The responses to the town centre questionnaire asked the residents if they would like to see the project go ahead NOT on when they would like to see them done. An indicative timing of the projects was included in the questionnaire to give people a rough guide of when the projects may proceed. So to say that the library was the last project that the community wanted to proceed (last being at the end of the line) is totally incorrect. The new library is the pivotal centre of the town centre and most of the future development depends on this being in place. It would be like trying to build a house without any foundations.
Further criticism is levelled at the funding of the proposed development and in this aspect Mr Anderson rash statement that 'The council has no money. They want to sell us the old library and raise a $4 million loan for us to pay back through targeted rates on an intergenerational basis.” could not be further from the truth and is purely mischief making. The funding of a project like this would be derived from many sources so to suggest that the community would be saddled with a $4 million dollar loan over many years is simply not true. Council tries very hard to keep rate rises to a minimum and would certainly not contemplate what Mr Anderson suggests.
The funding of a project such as the library will be well thought through, all possible sources of outside funding will be looked into as will the actual commencement date of such a project. The ratepayers of Katikati can rest assured that rash decision will not be made and that if affordability as an issue the timing of the project will be reassessed.
Mike Williams, Katikati.