Days after announcing a proposed 25.5% rate rise a Hamilton City Council committee has voted to continue a plan to spend around $700k moving a bus stop because it was too close to a sex toy shop.
Moving an Anglesea St bus stop so it is no longer directly outside Peaches and Cream shop will cost ratepayers about $350k with a Waka Kotahi subsidy accounting for the other half of the cost.
The bus stop will be moved a little to the north while most of the project’s cost stems from the creation of a raised platform and signalised crossing. In the process, 11 on-street car parks will be lost, affecting nearby businesses who objected, while Fire and Emergency NZ’s opposition to the raised platform because Anglesea St is a major thoroughfare for fire engines, was also ignored.
Council staff stated that the other reason for moving the bus stop was for pedestrian safety although they also acknowledged there has been no record of accidents on the spot whatsoever.
The council’s Traffic, Speed Limit and Road Closure Hearings Panel today (Tuesday) approved the bus stop change by 3 votes to 2. Councillors Geoff Taylor and Ewan Wilson opposed it but were outvoted by Maxine van-Oosten, Anna Casey-Cox and Louise Hutt. If Taylor’s motion to refuse to alter parking bylaws to allow the change had passed, the project would have gone back to the full council for debate and potential removal.
Taylor said the council’s decision-making was “moving closer than ever to the twilight zone”.
“To spend $350k so needlessly because a sex shop is so close to a bus stop is bizarre. Who knows the business could be closed within six months and they might be selling ice creams there. What a waste of money and it is especially criminal when we’ve just proposed a 25.5% rate rise because our finances are in chaos.”
“Anglesea St is a major arterial for motorists into the central city and this is yet another congestion point, another nail in the CBD’s coffin as council’s left wing goes all out to choke traffic flow.”
“Hamilton residents are sick of raised platforms and here’s yet another one on Anglesea St, another step in the loopy left’s slow strangulation of the city’s roading network.”
Speaking of Money...or lack thereof...I would be interested in knowing where we go to see the financial records of the "Never Ending Story", of "Repairs on the Expressway between Horotiu and Taupiri". Its CRIMINAL the length of time... possibly now in "YEARS", that this is taking, yes bring back NZ Owned Ministry of Works, or outsource more to Higgins Contractors whom I have just learned are NZ owned, I understand the other roading companies are Overseas owned and raking in the $$$$ so i heard on "Talk Back".
Why isn't Council accountable for wasting money and creating further condensed pollution, with the almighty traffic jams, you can bet, emergency services inc Fire Engines avoid expressway, use Great South Rd or…
The only monetary policy that Council seems to have is a MONEYTREE policy. This is when those who were voted in have become masters at spending Other People's Money (OPM). Another aspect that some Councilors don't seem to get when they say that Central Government will fund X of the project..... that money is not gifted from our friendly neighbourhood genie, it comes from the taxpayers. There is NO free money.
Why another pedestrian crossing when two already exist, only a few meters away and significant sums already paid to the roading contractors to calm us down.
What should we do about these councilors and the bloke running the outfit?