Letters: When will new Mauao base track be in place?

The area impacted by the large slip in April 2017. Photo / supplied

In the aftermath of April's 2017's Cyclone Debbie, earth slippage caused considerable damage to Mauao's base track.

In July 2017 it was announced that temporary repair work in the form of the present steep wooden stairs would soon be under way.

A further statement in October 2017 indicated that the proposed long-term solution was a new track which would run below the damaged area prior to rejoining the main path.

It was planned that the repaired track would be accessible for prams, wheelchairs and those unable to cope with steep inclines such as the temporary stairs.

As we near April 2019, and two years after Debbie, why has this important work planned not been completed?

Ray Malcolm
Mount Maunganui

Drug testing no-brainer for different reasons

Your article about drug testing at music festivals (Opinion, January 19) being a no-brainer is in my view on the button in a different manner.

Anyone who buys drugs from an unknown source has no brains. A lot different from growing your own or knowing your supplier.

It is time society stopped pandering to people who deliberately or recklessly harm their health. The time for society to give real help is when the foolish victim wakes up and is prepared to make an effort to rehabilitate.

This is where the proponents who wish to switch problems from criminality to health miss the point.

People don't become healed until they are willing and too many are using the health aspect as a crutch.

Society's attitude to those with such problems should first be – Don't, and then We will help you.

Otherwise, we should keep our taxpayer dollars for those who need medical attention through no or little deliberate fault of their own.

Bill Capamagian
Tauranga

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