Stokes Valley News Editorial
May 2002

When will Stokes Valley Have its Day in the Council Sun?

During the Council election campaign last year, the current Mayor and City Vision - Terris Team cleverly positioned themselves as the team that kept rates down. They didn't actually say they would lift rates if they got back into power but they did claim that the Hutt2020 team would put up rates if they got elected.

It's not that there is a problem with money being spent to improve the city; it's just that I can't believe that Councillors and Council Officers from the last term didn't know that the city needed more money (ie: a rate increase). If they didn't know then someone wasn't doing their job properly. If they did know then there was a lack of honesty during the election campaign.

Anyway, we are now being told to accept a rate rise or face reduced services and increased fees.

If the 7½% rate rise does go through, the plan is to spend 34.85 million dollars on projects in Lower Hutt. 27.7 million or 79.5% of the projects (with the exception of the Walter Nash Stadium option) are to happen in the Hutt CBD south. This will be of direct benefit to Eastbourne and Petone residents and have little or no value or impact to the people of Stokes Valley.

Stokes Valley already gets very little for the (approximately) $4 million collected in rates from the area. The road at the entrance of the valley has been due to have the temporary repair properly fixed for over 18 months. The money to put in steps from Wagon Road to Castle Crescent has disappeared into general funds and has presumably been used elsewhere. There are many other projects that could be done in Stokes Valley. However, there is a mere $60,000 set aside in the draft annual plan for beautification of the valley entrance.

Why is the Council not considering improved roading and public transport access for Stokes Valley? We have double the population of Eastbourne, and the Council wants to spend 25 million on an east west corridor for them.

When will Stokes Valley see its day in the sun, and have money spent here?