Letters: Retailers and tenants have rights too

Homeless are already in breach of a Tauranga City Council bylaw, says a reader. Photo / Getty

I note (News, November 15) that the Tauranga City councillors in favour of banning homeless/beggars were informed that, among other things, "the bans would ... expose the council to huge legal risk if challenged under the Bill of Rights or Local Government Act".

I am surprised that TCC have not already been challenged under this legislation for not upholding the rights of tenants and landlords to peaceful enjoyment of their properties.

Currently they have to put up with people in doorways and/or camping in rear yards – trespassing, sometimes urinating and/or defecating in backyards – a serious health and safety issue, and sometimes aggression that requires calling the police.

All of which I have personally seen in the CBD.

Those actively begging are already in breach of the TCC Streets Bylaw 2013.

To those councillors who think it would be a "moral injustice against vulnerable people", why do the ratepayers pay for security guards in the CBD Library Mall?

Their main functions appear to be "on call" if there is a problem in the library with homeless/beggars and to open the doors when councillors come to meetings.

A Gifford
Tauranga

Rewarding teachers

I agree with Peter Williams' excellent thoughts about rewarding competence in the teaching profession (Opinion, November 17).

However, he overlooks that the teaching profession is based on the collegiate model.

Teachers help each other. Sharing and peer consultation is the norm, and it is not easy to identify and single out competence where many people may have been involved in what might appear to be the work of just one person.

Having said that, I do believe that we should find a way of identifying and rewarding teachers who show competence, ability and achievement.

But in such systems, without effective controls, it is easy for nepotism, favouritism and bribery in its various forms to be over-influential in determining reward and promotion.

We do need to improve the current system, but it will take time, and will not be easy.

Vaughan Chetwynd
Bethlehem

Fix dangerous road

Last week there was another serious accident on our roads.

This time it was the Pyes Pa (State Highway 36) and Keenan Rd intersection.

Four people injured and in hospital.

Months ago, after the intersection upgrade, I rang the council with a safety complaint about the upgrade. Nothing has happened.

When exiting Keenan Rd you have to have your front wheels almost on top of the line on the road to see past a concrete lamp post that obscures your view of cars travelling to Tauranga at 100km/h.

Another problem I told the council about was when coming from Rotorua and turning into Keenan Rd there is no pullover lane and impatient drivers behind always pull out and pass you on the double yellow lines.

Please do something about these dangerous roads.

Peter Kristensen
Pyes Pa