Catherine Stewart Tauranga City Councillor

Last Saturday morning I attend a special Chunuk Bair commemoration service at the War Memorial gates at the Tauranga Domain. Representatives from the RSA, Army and Air cadets were in attendance.

That afternoon the world's last surviving World War II Dambusters pilot, Les Munro, was commemorated with an honorary flypast following his memorial service at Classic Flyers.

Our ancestors were resilient, hard-working people who coped without having the luxuries that we take for granted today. They managed without the OSH and planning regulations that are mandatory components of life in 2015.

It was just as difficult to purchase a house 20 or 40 years ago as it is today. Mortgage rates are at their lowest for many years. In the mid 1980s mortgage rates were more than 20 per cent p.a. Expectations and regulations have risen over the years. Double glazing and insulation did not feature in our grandparents homes and somehow they coped, often in trying circumstances.

Demand for housing is high in Tauranga and I believe this will continue as Aucklanders sell up to buy homes in one of New Zealand's most attractive cities. One way councils can assist is to free up more land. The Special Housing Accord has resulted in thousands of sections being released throughout the country.

Army and Air cadets at the Chunuk Bair Commemoration, Tauranga.