On February 12 my wife and I watched the international Davis Cup tennis matches at the new TECT Stadium. This was our first visit to this new amenity.
We were most impressed with this great and much needed public facility, in which we enjoyed this international event. It ticked all the boxes from carparking, cafe, service, air-conditioning and seating.
As such, we think all the "knockers" of this public "spend" should pay a ticket price and go and see for themselves, instead of sitting at home and worrying about a rate increase.
The only disappointment was that the stadium was only about a third full, which at a ticket price of $30 for such an international event (that ran from 11am to 3pm), is really good value. So come on you BoP people, support this magnificent facility that has been provided for you.
Leigh Neilson, Tauranga
Views on warming
Re: The global warming debate.
Dave Finney and Charles Purcell as obvious disbelievers in the warming of the planet would be well advised not to believe in minor aberrations in the long-time warming trend.
In a recent interview, David Attenborough of BBC fame said something to the effect that for 15 years he had to be neutral in his stance on this subject, however, he'd heard all the arguments that "2x2=4" and now accepts like 97 per cent of the world's environmental and atmospheric scientists that indeed it does! The planet is warming.
As Warren Buffett so succinctly put it, "I believe the odds are good that global warming is serious. There's enough evidence that it would be foolish to say there isn't a problem". He went on to say "if you have to make a mistake, err on the side of the planet as it's the only one we've got".
Rob Moores, Tauriko
Let's be sensible
The editorial in the Bay of Plenty Times, February 23, covering the soon to be installed bronze images of Hairy Maclary and friends on the Tauranga waterfront was very sensible and down to earth. I'm afraid I have to agree with the writer that Tracey Ruddick-Gudsell's statement "It has the potential to create an internationally iconic tourist attraction ... it will be a real centrepiece for the city" is to put it frankly, a load of rubbish. I agree that it is fantastic that we are locally recognising the years of amazing creative work by Dame Lynley Dodd in this public way. However, we were told by those in the "know" that the art gallery would encourage tourism and boost visitors to Tauranga.
As far as I am aware it has had little, if any, effect on the increase of numbers of visitors to Tauranga.
The committee pushing for the establishment of a museum also use this as one of their main arguments. Dreamers all.
I hope, however, this group of bronze fictitious animal figures does not upset local iwi beliefs or any taniwha that may be residing close to where they will be erected.
Roger Bailey, Tauranga
Change overdue
This change is long overdue. When we first visited New Zealand, before moving here from the UK in 1999, I drove for three weeks all over New Zealand unaware of this rule as the car hire company did not point out the difference.
I only found out when driving a friend and they told me when I failed to stop turning left at an intersection for a car turning right.
I often wonder how many other tourists and recent immigrants are unaware of the difference.
The new rule is in line with the rest of the world and should result in much less glass at intersections from minor bumps.
Helen Stone, Matua
Youth drinking
I feel for Eion Crosby who has had to deal with serious consequences of alcohol overdose in students at his reputable school.
He is not alone. I have worked in teams which look out for the health of students in other schools, and have seen first-hand the rising extent of drinking in our youth, to the point where vomiting, sexual indiscretions and semi-comatose states are the norm.
Like Doug Sellman, I am outraged by poor policy on alcohol and I am flabbergasted that there is not more of an uproar about our future generations' continuing easy access to a class B equivalent drug that increases their risk of suicide, accidental death, depression, cancer and addiction.
We had a helpless response from John Key after one of these students died in Auckland, and this helplessness is encouraged by the alcohol industry promotion of "responsible drinking" messages with the full knowledge that they don't work.
Students are just answering the call of a rampant alcohol industry; drug dealers who currently have the ear of our politicians and lobby them to not bring in the policies that work - pricing, accessibility, advertising/sponsorship and drink-driving countermeasures.
In the meantime good people like Eion Crosby will have to resort to the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff out of concern for his drugged students.
Tony Farrell, Mount Medical Centre, Mount Maunganui
Betty Tanava Victoria, Australia
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