Letters to the editor: Tauranga lacks key facilities and infrastructure

A reader asks those in power to exercise some vision. Photo / File

'Pothole mentality'

Tauranga is missing key facilities and infrastructure - no big surprise given the lack of vision, and thus long-term planning, from past elected representatives and administrators.
Sadly, the same criticism can be levelled at the Western Bay District Council.
Do we finally have a glimmer of perception as to what can turn a city and surrounding area into the special place it can be? Dare one expect those in positions of responsibility will act beyond the narrow parochial attitudes that have negatively dominated thinking in the past?
Facilities and infrastructure development is needed across the Bay and if those responsible can see beyond their boundaries, all will benefit, both in the quality of facilities and the cost to ratepayers.
Imagine how much benefit would arise if a major recreational facility was established with easy road, rail and air access to Tauranga, Rotorua and Whakatane.
Time to get rid of the pothole mentality which has plagued the region for too long.
Decades ago, people with positions of responsibility exercised vision and acted positively e.g. establishing the Port of Tauranga, the TEL (it took three-plus decades for it to materialise).
How about some folk get over themselves and do their jobs properly? Think this region has grown? It hasn't even started.

L Kelvin O'Hara
Retired three-term Mayor of Mount Maunganui

Driver onus

Having driven over this road [SH2] several times over the last two months including yesterday, I do not see it as dangerous.
I can see work has been done to make it safer, so now reduce the speed limit to 90km/h through to Katikati and there should not be a problem.
If the person behind the wheel drives at the speed limit and to current conditions e.g. rainfall, there would not be any fatalities.
The onus is on the driver, not the Government.
PM Hunt
Bethlehem

Too many ads

I do appreciate the fact that the Commonwealth Games are on free to air, but I certainly do not appreciate the many breaks for commercials. In some team games, we have even missed goals being scored or replays of goals as a commercial break is taken.
TVNZ spokeswoman Rachel Howard told NZME "the organisation had to find a method of funding the content".
Maybe they should not apply for these projects if they have to interrupt with so many commercials?
If they win the rights to the Rugby World Cup will they interrupt this regularly with commercials?
Elaine Fountain
Pyes Pa

Phone skills lacking

So many people nowadays do not have landlines and just have cellphones. If you do not know their cellphone number it is impossible to find out where they live.
Also, while travelling in the UK last year, it has been noted by many companies when employing people in their late teens, they do not know how to use a landline phone, nor have any phone etiquette when using landlines - just picking up phones hoping someone will say something. I have heard this is happening here as well.
Some small businesses only have cellphones, how much business are you missing out on due to your name not being in the phone book?
Mind you, I was looking for someone in the phone book the other day knowing they had moved, the latest local book had their old address as did the White Pages, she moved over a year ago.
My grandchildren ages 6 to 10 do not know what a landline phone looks like.
Wendy Galloway
Omokoroa

A reader asks those in power to exercise some vision. Photo/file