Letters to the editor: Phoenix car park a 'fiscal nightmare'

The concept plan for the Phoenix car park redevelopment which has gone over budget. PHOTO/FILE

Phoenix carpark budget blowout

Re Budget blowout (News, September 19), in my view Messrs Rundall and Baker's criticism about the budget blowout and fiasco in is spot on target. In my opinion, the predilection to spend $3.5m of development money on this ill-conceived Mount project defies belief and is rapidly turning into a fiscal nightmare.

The works have already been going on for many months, with no conclusion in sight - they ripped out several palm trees suitable for a park when I think they really only had to uplift asphalt and re-grass the area and maybe upgrade the toilets.

No good reason has been given as to why or how the 2015 budget was not upgraded three years later.

Council bureaucrats and elected members seem to have a cavalier attitude to TCC ratepayers' money and seem totally unconcerned by these events.

In my opinion, this urban green space was unnecessary and cost the public at least 50 critical car parks which is a lose/lose situation. (Abridged)

Sally Paterson
Ohauiti

Hospital toilet raises concerns

In regards to the article "Patient shocked at filthy toilet'' (News, October 1).

In my opinion, Emma Ciardelli is so correct. I had a similar experience while in Waikato Hospital for major surgery last year.

I spent a couple of weeks in Ward 14 and experienced the filthy toilets and found the showers also dirty.

Considering the place is a healthcare facility this is disgusting. I came home with an infection in my wounds, similar to others I know of. I'm also aware that the ward is to be revamped.

It certainly needs it with paint off the walls and windows. In the meantime while awaiting major reconstruction, Waikato Hospital you need to clean up your act.

Maurice Austin
Bethlehem

Maori language worth protecting

In my view, Bryan Johnson (Letters, October 2) needs to be firmly corrected in his claim that the Maori language is not protected in law by the Treaty of Waitangi.

Our parliament and courts have accepted, in the Treaty of Waitangi Act, that taonga are items of value that do not have to be physical, and that Māori language is a taonga that the government has a responsibility to protect.

Our parliament, our courts and all reputable language experts regard Bryan's view as selective misinformation. A simple online check of "taonga" will confirm this.

Peter Dey
Welcome Bay

Māori language should be taught at home

I think Sir Apirana Ngata and Dr Paul Pomare believed that the first subject in order of priority in the school curriculum was English, the second-most important was English, the third-most important was English, and then arithmetic and other subjects.

English for the school and Māori for the home, marae etc. Māori should be fluent in Māori and English, this is not the case. Why is this?

Fast forward to present day with politicians of all political persuasions spending vast sums of money promoting the Māori language. Some politicians who have a political death wish are even talking of making the learning of Māori compulsory.

There was an article in the newspaper about a little boy who has a Chinese mother and a German father. That little boy is being taught by both of his parents' mother tongues' plus English. That should tell us something. (Abridged)

David Medhurst
Otumoetai