“I’m incensed”
March 29, 2009
Two weeks ago, Mayor Yule was “pretty p****d off” that his sports park was jeopardised by High Court and Environment Court appeals. You would have thought opponents of the Percival Road complex were terrorists, not concerned citizens exercising their legal prerogatives.
Now, with Sam Kelt abandoning the cause, the Mayor is “incensed.” Next week, [...]
Mark Sweet – The Romance of Wine III
March 29, 2009
“Hawke’s Bay province is, in my opinion, the most suitable for growing vines I have visited,” said Italian wine expert Romeo Bragato at the end of a six month tour of New Zealand in 1895. “The wine industry is an immense source of wealth to a nation.”
Bragato’s enthusiasm for Hawke’s Bay viticulture was influenced in [...]
Tom Belford – The Right Debate
March 29, 2009
In the coming fiscal year, ending 30 June 2010, the Hastings, Napier and Regional Councils will spend a combined total of $281 million. Ratepayers, including businesses, will furnish most, though not all, of these funds. Other sources include earnings from investments, fees charged to developers in payment for council-fronted infrastructure (e.g., water and sewer lines), [...]
Nick Stewart – User Pays
March 29, 2009
Setting aside issues surrounding spending on this or that specific project or activity, arguably there are more generic questions to consider about councils’ spending levels, financing methods, engagement in commercial activities, and – these days – even their role in fighting recession.
I invited Nick Stewart, Executive Director of the Stewart Financial Group, to take on [...]
