Western Civilisation has given New Zealand everything that we have, and there is only one 'global race', and that is the 'Human Race'.
Maureen J Anderson
Tauranga
The government needs to listen
The recent publicity over the need to urgently address issues with State Highway 2 between Tauranga and Katikati needs to be listened to by the new Government, who need to take a more pro-active lead in ensuring solutions actually materialise after years of waiting for funding.
The solutions to address both the dangerous, congested highway and growth in this region should not just be roading-based solutions, but also alternative safer travel options with new rail passenger services.
Much of urban Tauranga and the CBD is linked along the rail lines, and the rail line linking Tauranga with Hamilton and Auckland runs right through Omokoroa and Apata alongside SH2.
The Government and NZTA could quickly and easily establish a daily return rail passenger service between Auckland and Tauranga / Mount Maunganui at the same time as a proposed new morning and evening commuter rail service between Hamilton and Auckland, using the same trains.
Surplus diesel commuter trains from Auckland could also be acquired by the Government and NZTA to establish a new suburban rail service between Apata, where a large park and ride could be established on SH2, through the Tauranga CBD, Mt Maunganui, and Te Puke, to help address growing congestion on roads across Tauranga.
Isaac Broome
Pukekohe
Driver behaviour
Regarding State Highway 2 (News, September 17).
One cannot understand how people that cross centrelines, pull out of roads/driveways, slip on gravel (that one can see) fiddling with buttons on your car audio, MP3 player, finding your packet of smokes, high speed and the list goes on and on, can be the road's fault.
Slow down, be patient, look where you are going and most of all drive to the conditions it's as easy as that, oh and seriously look at your attitude.
Alan Ryan
Welcome Bay
Highway a problem
Highway 2 is a serious problem: No doubt about it. Hundreds of protesters said 'The Government should fix it.' I agree the Government should fix the road.
Frances Austin asked 'What about the behaviour of drivers?'
I say: 'What can be done to change that? Let's give driver behaviour serious attention, as well as fixing the road.'
Mary Rose
Greerton
Budget blow out
So, the budget for the Phoenix car park development has blown out by almost 25 per cent, and councillor Brown doesn't appear to be too concerned about it.
The council's officer in charge of the project admits that the 2015 budget should have been re-assessed before the project finally got under way earlier this year.
That would have been a sensible thing to do, wouldn't it? Over nearly three years there was bound to have been an increase in costs.
The council is going to cover the over-run to the extent of $280,000 by using money from the Mount Parking Facilities budget; which means, in my view, that a parking project somewhere else in the Mount is going to miss out.
It makes one relieved that the ratepayers turned down the idea of the council embarking on a many times larger project: A museum. Imagine how that would have ended up.
It is to be hoped that the council's new CEO will quickly bring an end to this kind of slackness on the part of council staff.
As for the councillors; we will have to wait a couple of years to have our say about their performance.
Barry Scott
Papamoa Beach
A fortune to be made
This is an open letter to our local police force; if you wanna have a fun-filled day bring your cameras, pens and ticket books for a stakeout at the Brookfield roundabout there's a fortune waiting to be made with " red light runners ".
Yvette Watts
Brookfield
