Letters: Village more pleasant since begging by-law passed

Greerton Village. Photo / File

I recently visited Greerton village, a place I have avoided for some time due to feeling uncomfortable there on previous occasions.

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The 2018 Street Use and Public Places By-law has assisted greatly in bringing life back to Greerton village and the atmosphere as I sat outside a local cafe was pleasant.

I visited several of the retail establishments and was greeted with positive, friendly staff who made parting with my hard-earned funds a pleasure.

The good folks of Greerton have worked hard to keep their village vibrant and alive despite the difficulties they have been through with anti-social behaviour and the alterations to the traffic flow.

It would be a disservice to them and the general public (homeless or otherwise) to remove this by-law without a genuine and workable action plan.

Let's hear about that first before revoking something that, in my view, is obviously working for the majority. (Abridged)

Chris Edginton
Katikati

Mount base track

What wonderful news it was to read that work has started to fix the Mount base track.

People have been concerned about the levels of procrastination and delays since the advent of Cyclone Debbie in April 2017.

The brief time the recently elected council and the three iwi of Tauranga Moana have been able to combine and address the issues gives us all hope for the future.

It is a cause for celebration. News of such progress will also be a wonderful Christmas present to the many people unable to access the damaged track because of prams, strollers, wheelchairs and other factors.

Ray Malcolm
Mount Maunganui

Wishful thinking

A law that has always been precious to me is Article 3 of the Treaty of Waitangi, which, in 1840, made us all equal, regardless of who we are or where we have come from.

No one should come to this country and think of themselves as second-class citizens.

It took a long time for us women to get the vote but what no one can take away is that we are all equal before the law.

Unfortunately, too many of our politicians have forgotten that.

What I cannot accept is the view by Peter Dey (Letters, November 20) suggesting that the Crown and Māori have a partnership.

This is wishful thinking, as Queen Victoria in 1840 did not ever go into partnership with her subjects.

I find it unacceptable that anyone can continue to assume partnership but we should all be grateful for we are all equal and need to work together.

What our central politicians in Wellington need to understand is that the party that actually acknowledges equality in the laws they pass, the majority of us will welcome, because we have had enough.

Margaret Murray-Benge
Western Bay of Plenty district councillor

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