Letters: Bella Vista homeowners deserve answers

Andre and Chloe Stewart with children Miela and Asher, Jenny and Damian Coffey, and Tony Mann. Bella Vista homeowners. Photo/File

How did this happen?

A friend of mine was quite excited some months ago, he told me he had purchased a property on Lakes development, the house and section by Bella Vista Homes. I was disturbed when I saw the section and pondered what it would look like after the land was stabilised. The next time I went past, there were many homes being built on the unstable slope.

According to the Bay of Plenty Times, (Saturday, March 10), a condensed version, their council contact said at a press conference yesterday (9th) the situation was one of the most unusual he had encountered and the council's hand had largely been forced by Bella Vista Homes? Contact said the council could not demand a "certain sequencing of the building process", and went on to say that they would have a debrief, clearly we will have some lessons learned and some actions arising from that. That's great!

You can now only see the 21 homes evacuated through a wire link security fence.
I am curious about two things.

1. Despite the informative article "How on earth did that happen!"

2. Those affected could have been any of us. "Surely these folks must have some recourse and compensation."

Roger Mabbett, Tauranga

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Population surge adds pressure

What a sensible positive article by Dawn Picken (Opinion, March 9). Tauranga and the Western Bay are in the middle of a growth period, one of the strongest in New Zealand, and property prices are rising too fast.

We have to fund infrastructure differently as the burden is falling on councils and ratepayers. The lack of land, the price, it's frightening and people are not earning enough to pay for this escalation.

As Dawn says we cannot blame people who own rental accommodation when the chances of them being trashed is serious. Those vandals should be jailed, the only place I can think suitable, where they should learn how to build and repair, and then be forced to work on properties damaged by such vandals.

Also, the planning process is so drawn out and complicated because the RMA is so desperately in need of reform as it is failing all of us. Far too many layers of Local Government and too much bureaucracy interfering with what ordinary people are trying to do, to keep them and their families safe. Just take a look at Belk Rd intersection upgrade as an example.

Margaret Murray-Benge, Bethlehem

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Thank you

Recently I was admitted to Tauranga Hospital on three occasions after fracturing my wrist. I have nothing but praise for the hospital service.

All the staff ... the surgeon, the registrars, physiotherapist and nursing staff at the Fracture Clinic and ward .... were professional, friendly, warm and empathetic. I felt safe in their hands; as far as I am concerned nothing was too much trouble. My needs were always met.

In my opinion, we here in the Bay of Plenty are very fortunate and privileged to have all these services available to us at the Tauranga Public Hospital. My sincere thanks go out to them all.

Augustina Driessen, Tauranga