Consultant fees
Recent reports indicate the Waipa District Council has over 100 staff who are on $100,000 or more and that 10 council employees are earning between $180,000 to $339,999.
This remuneration reflects what the council has to pay to attract highly skilled professionals. However, with this level of remuneration for highly skilled professionals, one would have to question why the council paid $14m to consultants, over and above the remuneration for their highly skilled employees. Do the highly skilled professionals not have the skills the district council needs, hence their reliance on consultants?
The government has clearly stated they expect councils to get back to core business and for government agencies to address what they spend on consultants. It would appear that maybe, the Waipa District Council did not get the government memo.
David Natzke
Cambridge
Fluoride debate
Fluoridation science and why some countries do not do it, are easily read in the online article “Water fluoridation controversy”. It’s a shame that the Community Board do not check the facts properly; even Te Whatu Ora recommends fluoridation. It says some water supplies have natural fluoride and may be topped up with just enough fluoride to help protect our teeth from decay.
Waipa council have approximately 22,000 dwellings which means fluoridation costs about $6.40 rate a household – a drop in the ocean for rate payers. To not fluoridate will cost the rate payers and their children poor dental health forever.
Jack Sharman
Cambridge
Letters to Editor. Photo: Pixabay
