Waitati Trains Are Not Sustainable

Day-trippers had a pleasant train excursion today, but it is ludicrous to suggest that a regular train service to Waitati is sustainable. Trains are only sustainable when large numbers of people want to travel on the same route at the same time, which certainly is not the case here. Commuters want to travel at different times and few work within walking distance of the Railway Station.
And why is the Council funding an event for the Get The Train political group, which was being used to promote "green" candidates in the current election campaign?

Forsyth Barr and South Canterbury Finance

Well-respected independent stockbroker, Chris Lee, has written a newsletter with interesting comment about the role of Forsyth Barr (of Forsyth Barr Stadium fame) in the demise of South Canterbury Finance. Note that it is the New Zealand taxpayer who will suffer the losses in SCF's collapse, just as it is the Dunedin rate-payer who will bear the cost of the Stadium.

Vote For Lee Vandervis

My recommendation to those Dunedin voters concerned about the high spending, high debt and high rates of the City Council:

Vote For Lee Vandervis

Lee has consistently spoken out about these issues, and would be a valuable voice for frugality on the Council. He is unlikely to be voted in as Mayor, but under STV there is no risk in marking him as No 1 on the voting paper.

Dave Cull and the Greater Dunedin team would be an improvement on the old guard of Councillors, but seem equivocal in their commitments to making the savings required.

ODT Says DCC Should "Learn To Say No"

A great editorial in the ODT : to get Dunedin's high rates and debt under control, the Dunedin City Council must "learn to say no" to new projects and requests.
We will see if the new Council after the October elections makes any difference.