The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
TODAY'S LETTERS
Ratepayers shouldn't fund costly warnings
Re: Shame on council over lack of sirens (Your View, March 24). Again we lean on the council (or indeed some other government body), to help us with any possible issues that may or, indeed, may not, happen.
We are surely in Tauranga trying to establish a council which has a (to say the least) moderate view on expenditure of all rates, and insist they are frugal with the enforced cash they receive from all ratepayers annually.
To insist that sirens are installed against the event of a tsunami occurring, at ratepayers expense, is nonsense.
It is your choice to live along a coastline and therefore have the benefits and responsibilities which go with that. If you wish for these sirens to be installed and monitored, perhaps you could get together as a community, develop the idea, and find an alternative funding option.
It is absolutely a good idea for residents of the Mt Maunganui and Papamoa coastline, but not for all ratepayers to fund them.
Peter Huxham, Welcome Bay
New map needed
Spokespersons from Tauranga City Council and Tourism Bay of Plenty should not criticise cruise ship operators regarding out-of-date inaccurate information. Both organisations are guilty of failing to ensure that all visitors to Tauranga receive impartial and accurate information and maps.
Poor information given for cruise ship visitors is but a small part of misinformation given to visitors ever since TBOP was formed in 1994. Ratepayers have unwittingly financed this negligence with several million dollars over the years.
Tauranga City Council Annual Plan hearings have consistently ignored submissions asking for accurate information and maps. The standard response from council has been - "Errors are minor but will be corrected at the time of reprinting". This seldom happened. The "official" map of Tauranga only goes to Gate Pa. Many streets in Greerton, Barkes Corner and The Lakes do not appear although listed in the index.
Maps from the i-Site and the council's own website showed the train station location long after it was demolished. A typical example of poor service was when visitors from Tahiti wanting to visit McLaren Falls Park were given a CBD map. They were delighted to be personally escorted to the area.
Samuel Smith, Otumoetai
Time to move on
In reply to G McNaughton (Your View, March 28) may I say that Canterbury and Christchurch have "got over it" and are moving on? That is all they can do. They have grieved and now are getting on with rebuilding their lives, and it is time the rest of New Zealand did, also.
I know there was devastation, and death, but NZ cannot wallow in this: they have to move on. Those people in the queue don't deserve to be called ignorant. Why should they be named? They most probably had more important things to do than stand in a queue, which seemed as if it was going nowhere fast.
The only ignorant people are those who think Christchurch can rebuild itself on pity and compassion and all those other intangible qualities. I just hope that these "outraged" people are putting their money where their mouths are and keep the money rolling in, because this is where the hurt now lies.
R Smith, Tauranga
Lights on
Celebrating "Blackout Night" at the time of the March equinox, halfway between mid-summer and mid-winter in both hemispheres, shows that "Earth Hour" is nothing more than green tokenism. This date, with the sun exactly on the equator, was cynically placed on the mildest night of the year to ensure that the candles and champagne parties are unlikely to be inconvenienced by summer heat or winter snow.
Sensible people know that the sun, the planets and the seasons control earth's cycles of weather and climate, and they appreciate man's magic of electricity which allows them to moderate nature's periodic extremes of heat and cold at the flick of a switch.
Instead of sneering at human achievements, they should salute the people who provide light, heat and cooling for the other 364 days of the year. Our salute will be to turn on every light on our property.
Viv Forbes, Australia
Goodbye Kapai
I was surprised and saddened to see that Kapai's Corner will no longer feature. It is consistently the best column you publish.
To use a gastronomic analogy, Kapai provides a gourmet look at the issues - a well-balanced mix of ingredients seasoned with wit, culture and, sometimes, a touch of horopito to give it a nice sharp edge. He also provides a view from the Maori world that is not otherwise present in the paper.
Your other local columnists serve us the equivalent of meat and two veg: you can get by on it, but there's nothing to excite you.
In the interests of setting and maintaining standards, please arrange for Kapai to continue.
Brian MacKenzie, Matua
Rights for some
It has now been officially entrenched in law - if you are tauiwi, had thought yourselves people of the land because you have called this country home since the 1840s it is of no relevance. Chris Finlayson announced the protection of rights to all ancestral connections.
But only of one race.
The foreshore and seabed once held by the Crown for the use and enjoyment of all New Zealanders in perpetuity is now public domain and open to Maori-only customary (usage) right titles claims forever. But permission is built into the act for all NZers to access this territory within the codified rules. Thank you so much.
RE Stephens, Mount Maunganui
Nuclear free
I say thank you to the late David Lange and the then Labour government for their stand against the rest of the world for creating a nuclear free NZ in the South Pacific. I say thank you to all those who protested at the French Mururoa Atoll nuclear tests. I say thank you Greenpeace for your stand on a nuclear free world. I say to all those who opposed a nuclear free NZ feel free to go to Japan.
N Tane, Omokoroa
Text Views
* Re the trial closure of the Sapphire drive walkway what a shocking decision as we lose access routes and the low life win once again!!
* Thumbs up 4 cars that let us out of mayfair st l5 ave many thanks 2 u an also letting in again love peace 2 u all
* Monarchy!not democratic at all, chosen by birth not by vote, do we vote for whos king/queen? NO.
* Cant understand why prince william was allowed in the red zone in chch to have a look around when business people are not allowed into that area.
* Keep the roundabout and have a flyover on maunganui rd
* Neither should be Option. Educate drivers to be courteous. Traffic light are a waste of money.The sooner we learn from other countries to give way to other traffic we will have less accidents. More Police.
* Sad 2 hear Pete has died.He was a lovly man and had his reasons for house not being ocupied.RIP Pete, from Ian and Judi, Makatu Farm
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