103 days ago

What are you thinking about the rates rise talk at the council?

The Team Reporter from Hamilton Press

Hamilton City Council’s proposed rate hikes will “crush a lot of whānau” and placing the blame on water costs is a “red herring”, according to Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka.

The Waikato Times spoke to various politicians in the wake of revealing that the proposed 25.5% rate rise could be followed by yearly increases of 14.1% - a proposal were mooted at a council meeting on Wednesday.

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More messages from your neighbours
5 hours ago

Do you think Nawton's FIFO supermarket should be able to sell alcohol?

The Team Reporter from Hamilton Press

A liquor licence that would help sustain new supermarket FIFO after it threw a lifeline to a hard scrabble Hamilton suburb is being blocked by city leaders.

Plans to sell beer and wine at Nawton’s brand new Fresh In Fresh Out (FIFO) supermarket have hit speed bumps with two city councillors among those raising concerns over the community’s vulnerability to alcohol harm.

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15 hours ago

Riddle me this...

Riddles from The Neighbourly Riddler

What has to be broken before you can use it?

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G
3 hours ago

The Loco Loco Yet Again

Graeme from Frankton

I am currently out of the country , but the other day I saw that NZTA have agreed to extend the Loco Loco 'trial' by another 2 years . They have reduced their contribution from 70-odd percent , to 60 percent . So their contribution is now $12.2 million for the next 2 years .

Now work that out . That means the cost for 2 more years is 'only' $20million , of which 'we' pay all of , one way or another .

That is $10 million a year , or $833,000 a month , or $200,000 a week , or $30,000 a day . That is how much it is losing . $30,000 a day . 7 days a week . ( Does it run on a Sunday ? ) . I doubt it gets 300 passengers a day , so that is $100 a passenger a day IT IS LOSING . Yes , every day they light a bonfire , and throw on $30,000 !

But wait -- theres more ! It has already cost about $120 million so far . Over $80 million of that is the capital costs , which are basically worth nothing .

So calculate the capital cost , and the on-going losses , and the $25 return ticket is actually costing ratepayers and taxpayers close on $500 . Per Person . Per Day . For another 2 years !

It is never , ever , ever going to get anywhere near break even , so these geniuses for some reason decide we'll throw more money at it for another 2 years .

Even Len Brown says it should be cancelled ( and he always struck me as being not the brightest , and 'left wing' ) , as does Luxon , Seymour and anyone who knows even the slightest about running a business , or logic , or common sense .

Why , oh why ?