Letters to the editor: Commission got it right for Bay Venues

Justine Brennan, chief executive of Bay Venues Ltd (left) and Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services Trust director Tommy Wilson. Photo / File

Congratulations to the new city commissioners for getting it right when it comes to Bay Venues.

Without the tautoko of Bay Venues and in particular Justine Brennan, its wonder woman chief executive, we would not have been able to feed our homeless families.

Bay Venues has worked alongside Te Tuinga Whanau pre- and now post-Covid, helping us help those who need it most in our community - 4000 lost and lonely people every year.

The strength of this relationship can never be filtered away back to in-house council committees.

It has been richly rewarding to have our commissioners show up as they promised they would do and see what the ambulance looks like at the top of the cliff and understand our tikanga and see first hand the new drivers – including Bay Venues, which is driving our whanau back to safe warm homes where they belong, with a full happy puku!

Tommy Wilson
Tauranga

Assessments needed

What a great editorial in Saturday's paper (Opinion, May 1) with the headline 'Local govt review has $129b baby".

How right the editorial is.

The reforms come with a price tag and with a government printing money as though there is no tomorrow, there is a desperate need for every proposal to have a financial assessment done by Treasury or the auditor-general before such reforms are put in place on issues such as the Three Waters Reform.

There needs to be financial assessments much earlier on every proposal, such as the train from Hamilton to Auckland, Three Waters and train to the airport.

We are way behind with our infrastructure and no government should be able to lump on to taxpayers or ratepayers such developments without independent assessments first. (Abridged)

Margaret Murray-Benge
Bethlehem

Ban boxing

I am in total agreement with your correspondent Don Campbell who thinks boxing should be banned.

It also beggars belief that ACC doesn't draw some lines in the sand (or paint them on the canvas).

An injury suffered while participating in a sport in which the objective is to injure your opponent can hardly be deemed an accident.

Michael Rowarth
Otumoetai

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