Straight from city council A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

Last week at City Hall we discussed building a new and improved information centre combined with an iport cruise ship arrival building and public toilets to be located together at Coronation Park.

Early estimates range from $4m for an 810m2 facility to $5m for the same facility with a flash roof that stands out.

Personally, I like the roof but not for another million bucks if that funding is ground out of poor residential ratepayers who are so often the funders of first resort.

Before you accuse me of being a stick-in-the-mud let me tell you a story. Nearly four years ago when I was first elected to council I had a conversation with a couple that's had a profound effect on my politics since then. They worked hard all their lives, paid off the mortgage and saved a nest egg to retire on. A short time after finishing work both husband and wife got cancer; cleaning out their life savings.

Ever since then they've lived solely on national superannuation – and they are not alone. With rates always increasing faster than inflation many find themselves with less to live on year after year.

Should those in our community like this couple have to subsidise property developers through their rates? Should their pension be first the port of call whenever someone has a bright idea in this city? Every year at budget time the Chamber of Commerce encourages us to increase rates and we also hear from some comparatively wealthy individuals encouraging us to have ‘vision' and spend more. The solution is changing the way we collect rates, how much and from whom. I'll show you how next week.