The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
TODAY'S LETTERS:
Incorrect decisions on hot pools
Re: Hot saltwater pools.
The Resource Management Act binds the Tauranga City Council to apply environmental sustainability to its infrastructure.
Indeed the council states in its annual plan that an essential part of its leadership is sustainable management obligations.
A basic tenet of building sustainability is to preserve what you have built for at least 50 years, but the more years a building is well maintained and exists beyond the 50 years, the more sustainable.
The destruction of the hot water pools building is not the way to go. Sustainability is preserving what you have, modifying it, yes, but not destroying.
The Christchurch architect (why not local firm?) has elected to demolish the attractive building designed by Matrixx (local architects). The building is only 18 years old, which is well before its useful life need end.
The council is wrong in appointing the wrong designers, wrong instructing its own planners to ignore the sustainable management edicts of the Resource Management Act, wrong in spending $2 million on an application that was bound to fail, wrong in neglecting the maintenance of the hot pools building.
Gerry Hodgson, Mount Maunganui
Musical expertise
Re: Our View (opinion, April 27). The national jazz festival was built with the blood, sweat and tears of voluntary committee members over decades.
The best thing the council can do is get out of the way and make it as trouble-free for the organisers to succeed as possible. The programme directors are experts in the music field (unlike the council).
Acts chosen are a fine balance based on many things - not just economic success.
I suggest this year's lesser-known headline was chosen for his virtuosity and dynamic performance as opposed to just a well-known headliner, just to make a huge profit. If that was the sole purpose they would just hire the Eagles.
You either support it with your patronage, or ignore it, but please desist in demanding the council get involved - it's none of their business.
The reaction expressed in Our View is exactly what can be expected when bureaucracy gets involved in private matters - they start dictating what "they" want to see for the ratepayers' loot they splash around. Next thing, they will be running it and it will turn to custard.
(Abridged)
Graham Clark, Lower Kaimai
Not the first
Not taking anything away from the Breakers and their fantastic win but recent publications stated around the country that "The Breakers are the first New Zealand team to win an Australian competition".
This is not correct, as the Junior Warriors rugby league team won the Toyota Cup in 2010 after only a few years from the competition starting.
Maybe what should be stated is "the Breakers are the first New Zealand team to win a premier grade Australian competition".
Perry Tapsell, Mount Maunganui
Pay increase
Councillor Bill Grainger's letter (Your View, May 3) said that he wanted to make things a little clearer, regarding the councillors' pay increase, approved by the Government Remuneration Authority (RA).
In his letter he states that no local body plays any part in determining the amount the RA decides upon, and councillors do not call the shots.
Perhaps I could clarify a few facts for you, Bill. Among the criteria that the RA use to calculate your annual increase includes the total council expenditure, assets, and the latest rates increase. All of these factors you have a major input into, if the councillors are not calling the shots, then who is?
He also asks why the increase amounted to only 0.8 per cent, when at the same time the RA ruled travel expenses could be claimed only when they exceed 30km per day. Because of this new ruling on travel expenses Bill believes the ratepayers will be better off.
How can we be better off, when the ratepayer remuneration funded pool went from $752,643 to $758,828, and regarding your travel allowance, so you have lost some of your travel perks. Anyway why should we be paying you an allowance for you to travel to and from your workplace?
Brian Porter, Welcome Bay
On-road running
Isn't it a shame that ignorance breeds hatred. I have pondered for some time in response to a letter a few weeks ago when a reader questioned why we run on the road instead of a "perfectly good footpath".
Could I suggest the reader talks to a runner or two before using us as target practice?
We run on the road for many reasons, the main one being asphalt is much softer than concrete and leads to far fewer injuries. This lets us run more often, get fitter and be less of a burden on the failing health system.
So maybe next time do a little homework before bagging us runners.
And don't worry, we are far more wary of you, than you are of us. Happy running.
Darren Johnston, Mount Maunganui
STV way to go
Again and again I read letters in my copy of the Bay of Plenty Times along the lines of ... Out with List members and Out with MMP!
Now, I know just about every New Zealander is absolutely fed up with having List members parading around in Parliament after having not received a single vote from the public.
There is a quite simple solution to make our voting system a real MMP, by utilising STV.
A Single Transferable Voting system would effectively put members into Parliament who were actually voted in by the people for the people and not party hacks.
Unfortunately it will be very difficult indeed to get this system implemented, as guess who would do their damndest to make sure it will never happen?
When will we ever see someone in power brave enough to give us all a chance to vote for the addition of STV in a binding referendum?
Next election? Don't hold your breath.
James Newman, Mount Maunganui
Text views
* Re Dean Wickliffe, Prison for the rest of his life
* Sack the judge that let the rapist out on bail.
* Wld people PLEASE pay attention 2 the new lane markings @ 11th Ave.. Nearly got clobbered 2day by sum1
* Do we now have a chain saw massacre Council when it comes to trees in Tga taking into account the Aspen tree now along with the Gate Pa Trees. Sad eh.
* To th guys workng up th Mount track..great work, muc appreciated!
* It seems pretty obvious to most pple- that john key does not wont the pike river miners recovered until after the royal commision of inquiry that sux
* So Cr Grainger tries to defend the indefensible ... they get an increase in their pay and we get a 10.40% rate rise. What cloud is this councillor living on??
* Who realy cares abt who owes tax. We paye tax 3 times on most things anyway.NZ is a big tax govmt rip off..count afourd 2live n my own county.
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