Letters To Editor: We can do better than shingle

 We can do better than shingle
It was with some civic pride and fanfare some months ago that Napier made it on to the Tamati Coffey Breakfast weather show. A great opportunity to showcase Napier.
I am assuming that local consultation assisted in deciding where the web cam would point. Therefore, can someone please explain how a camera pointed out to Hawke Bay across a shingle beach assists in this showcase?
I am reminded of a line from a song - "And what did we see? We saw the sea".
Most Napier folk would have an opinion about which iconic feature of this city they would select to promote it. To cheer some letter writers up an Art Deco building need not be compulsory.
But surely we can do better than a view that could be virtually any coastal location in NZ? The world, even?
Marine Parade and Marineland are bigger issues, but let's get this right ASAP.
David Brock, Napier
Freehold move vital
The freeholding of Napier City Council commercial leasehold sites is now imperative to the growth and future benefits of Napier city.
Existing and future employment opportunities are being placed in jeopardy by retention of this now out dated and restrictive form of land tenure.
It must be of serious concern and of upmost importance to our councillors, to witness the decline that is occurring to local businesses as a result of leasehold land ownership. There is substantiated evidence that exciting developments are being diverted away from Napier to other preferred centres, unburdened by the insecurity and uncertainties of this form of land occupation.
The city of Dunedin demonstrates examples where many lessees recently took advantage to acquire the freehold interest. Where those were taken up, positive development has flourished, benefiting the community and associated employment. By contrast, those remaining leasehold sites now retain neglected buildings with poor, restrictive letting prospects, discouraging growth and best use of resources.
It is apparent from other recent letters to the Editor I am not alone in my concerns. This comes especially at a time when our business leaders are anguished about the region's lack of business growth and prosperity.
There is a win/win opportunity for the Napier City Council.
Presently, the commercial leasehold portfolio is on average producing a net 2.5 per cent-3.5 per cent cash return. By allowing freeholding to sitting lessees, the council could realise in the order of $30 millon, as a sizeable lump sum readily capable of enhanced financial performance, or alternatively wisely utilised to improve betterment for the city. At the same time, freeholding would unbundle true potential of Napier's best development options that would otherwise remain dormant due to the restrictive restraints of now over onerous "Glasgow" ground leases.
With a well-managed freeholding sale programme, Napier residents could be assured of fiscal responsibility by improved financial performance and, equally as important, stimulating growth, retaining and increasing employment opportunities, as well as making better use of infrastructural resources. Other benefits would include the prospects of increased rating, council levies and charges.
Come on, Napier city, it is well time to wake up and make better use of resources we have.
Taking sensible steps to uplift the present restraints of leasehold commercial land would assure positive benefits to the entire community.
Rodney Green, Napier
Altruism humbles
Thank you for publishing the conclusions drawn by Sir Paul Callaghan (May 23, page A8) that Kiwis are poor because they choose to be. I, too, have come to this conclusion. Sir Paul cites the example of people working in tourism. It must also apply to New Zealand farmers, particularly dairy farmers.
They are such selfless people who are obviously happy to work really hard in all weathers to support foreign bankers, local lawyers, and accountants, while they live on such a pitifully small net income. Such altruism is humbling. It is a pity that it is also a poor return on capital investment.
Jillian Forsyth, Napier
Identity provided
I was a little confused with Andrew Frame's letter in Monday night's paper.
In one breath he is saying that Napier City Council needs to "join the rest of us here in 2011" and at the same time he states his negative feelings towards the proposed (and since rejected) projection art project.
When I first learned of the project I thought it was a clever mix of old and new - fusing Napier's iconic point of difference with contemporary technology - bringing static architecture to life (and into the now).
I know there is a strong sentiment in our community that we need to "move on" from our Art Deco heritage, and while I agree in some ways, I also believe Napier's Art Deco heritage stands the city out from its peers and provides a strong and positive identity for locals and tourists alike.
Our Art Deco heritage symbolises a positive outcome from a horrible disaster - something very relevant in New Zealand and further afield "in the year 2011".
Alastair Mackie, Napier
Art Deco valuable
Reply to Andrew Frame letter 13 June.
Mr Frame has never been a fan of Art Deco and that is absolutely fine. The Art Deco Trust does not expect everyone to enjoy the Deco era or the heritage our city has become famous for.
But it needs to be said once again, thousands of people come into the City to enjoy the GEON Art Deco Weekend, thousands visit Napier and go on an Art Deco guided walk and millions of people have heard about Napier because of, and only because of, Art Deco.
In 2006, an economic-impact report showed Art Deco activities in Napier resulted in a gross revenue impact of $23 million. This figure would have certainly grown since 2006.
Mr Frame suggests that the Art Deco Trust is in charge of the city, this is nonsense. The trust placed a submission into the Napier City Council, making a set of recommendations. We created a proposal around the recommendations and took the opportunity to present to council. Everyone does have the same opportunity to do this.
Mr Frame, you mention that you have fresh ideas (let's hear them please), modern music, clothes and vehicles, but we have all of these and so does every other city and town across the country - BIG DEAL! Is modern music and clothes going to attract thousands to Napier to photograph, to write about in the media here and in hundreds of magazines and newspapers over the world? Will they attract - oh, let's say the Travel Channel from Sky TV with millions of viewers, to do a section solely on Napier? I doubt it very much.
To attract this sort of exposure, you need a unique selling point, something that is SO different from any other city. Art Deco is Napier's strength; it is a proven attraction for Hawke's Bay.
Rather than berate it with letters to the editor, try and see how you can join us, support the city, offer your ideas on how we can improve and how we can attract more people to our city to fill the hotels and motels, to help the retailers, restaurant and cafe owners and ensure the success of our city continues for many years to come.
Let's work together rather than finding ways to drag successful initiatives down. I will wait for your call.
Sally Jackson, General manager, Art Deco Trust