I can't help feeling that as a ratepayer I'm somehow responsible for not spending enough on infrastructure. This despite Tauranga‘s rates being close to the highest in New Zealand.

Our Commissioners intend to spend around $36 million on infrastructure every year for the foreseeable future and intend to raise rates to cover this. My question is that if our past rates should have covered replacement of this infrastructure, and considering that past councils borrowed a further $600 million (and repaid none of it), where did all that money go? Sure, there have been balls ups such as

Durham Street, the recent pointless work on 15th Ave, the transport hub in Hamilton Street and the Bella Vista debacle, but what major works have been carried out for that sort of figure? So what steps are the Commissioners taking to avoid that happening again? Will they employ experts in urban transport development, someone responsible for avoiding cost overruns and timely completion of construction works?

It's obvious that we can't rely on consultants to manage the contractors. I look forward to seeing progress.

Dan Russell, Tauranga.