Letters: International hotel would be good on different site

Tauranga CBD. Photo / File

An international hotel in Tauranga would be a good thing for our local economy. I see that the site they are looking at in central Tauranga may be contested by the council for its needs.

May I suggest an alternative, possibly better site. My thinking would be to utilise the air rights over Dive Cr and the rail line adjacent to it. A platform could be built over them, level with Cliff Rd and with access from Cliff Rd. This would use space that is presently only used for road and rail traffic, and would also give a great view for patrons over the bay. This location would also be conveniently close to the city centre, as well as the cruise ship terminal. It would also give a large enough footprint for a convention centre.

To me this would be a win-win solution to all concerned.

Chris Pattison
Pāpāmoa

Chickenpox parties

I heard on the radio this week that there are now over eight hundred cases of measles in Auckland.

This week Tauranga hosts the Aims Games where thousands of children gather from all over the country (including Auckland) to play sport.

According to the World Health Organisation measles killed 2.6 million children a year in the pre-vaccination era. A June news article regarding the current outbreak reported ESR data stating that so far 43 per cent of cases have required hospitalisation.

When I was a child, parents use to hold chicken pox parties to spread the infection. Now forty years later it's almost like we are holding another one of these parties -- except it's with measles and a whole lot more kids.

Perhaps non-immunised children should being staying away from Tauranga during Aims Games?

Dr Malcolm Scott
Tauranga

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