So TCC have let a contract to one supplier to collect rubbish for 8 years.

Ratepayers, as I predicted in a previous letter, can stand by for financial plundering by that contractor/TCC.

Standout clue is in the wording of the press release - "first year rate".

Having secured the contract for eight years, next year the monopoly contractor will screw ratepayers/TCC to the wall over some pathetic excuse and because there's no one else to collect the rubbish in the form our dysfunctional elected Council has been sucked in to, there will be no option but to pay because the Council has a legal responsibility to ensure rubbish is collected and disposed of regularly.

And this plundering will continue annually as a minimum.

And you pay regardless of whether you use the service or not.

I was on the council that got ratepayers OUT of the rubbish collection business so I'm aware of the pitfalls of what's going on here.

It's not going to be good news for ratepayers - and some ratepayers/victims voted for "better leadership".

Chance would be a fine thing.

Bill Faulkner, Otumoetai