“Think of this: traffic backed up over the railway line and down the main street.”
OPINION
Whole report should be made public
Mention droughts and possible future water shortages and the siren of the Ruataniwha will undoubtedly be singing again.
There are so many levers that should be pulled before doing more damage to our environment.
The first cab off the rank needs to be water allocation reform.
Currently in Hawke’s Bay, CHB uses the most water per capita for the lowest return. Most of this water is used for just a handful of intensive dairy farms - a major cause of pollution to our waterways.
The RWSS Hawke’s Bay Regional Council 2017 review reported that all monitored sites within the Ruataniwha plains exceeded Board of Enquiry nitrogen limits by between 130 per cent and 420 per cent.
This is not helping us build a resilient thriving economy and community now or in the future.
The damming of rivers is the very last thing we should be thinking of, particularly when the water report everyone is talking about states among other things that if we make the right changes, there could be a water surplus in the future.
This information is not on the HBRC webpage, where only some parts of the report are public but not the full report.
This is very poor practice. It opens up accusations that the HB Regional Council are cherry-picking what information they want the public to know.
In the interests of informed public debate, this whole report should be made public ASAP.
Gren Christie
Waipukurau
Waka Kotahi think again
In granting consent for Woolworths’ (Countdown) new supermarket in Takapau Rd, Waipukurau, Waka Kotahi will create a traffic nightmare in Waipukurau.
Up to 426 vehicles per hour (their figures) are expected to visit the supermarket, most of which will be turning right across State Highway 2 to the old saleyards site west of the railway line.
Although there is a right-hand turning lane, traffic will back up.
Any business west and south of this lane will see a loss of business, one losing one of two parking spots outside his business. Right next to this entrance is the lane that doctors use to park their cars. In any emergency, a doctor will not be able to exit this lane because of cars waiting to enter the proposed new supermarket.
Think of this: traffic backed up over the railway line and down the main street. Emergency ambulance and fire trucks being needed down State Highway 2 - if someone loses their life because services cannot reach them in time, I hope Waka Kotahi will take the blame.
In granting consent, Waka Kotahi will create a traffic hazard in Waipukurau.
Elliot Peacock
Waipukurau
Amazing show by M&D
What an amazing performance recently by the Waipawa M&D for the Cyclone Relief Fund.
The M&D Society has had a dreadful few years, with lockdowns, cancelled shows, and Covid causing the postponement of this performance. But they have carried on through, and this performance was a credit to them.
The compère, Helen Griffen I believe, was slick, knowledgable, entertaining and did a hilarious solo item where she included references to her own ample figure.
What can you say about Tony Ironside, who has performed on the Waipawa stage further back than anyone can remember, yet sang a beautiful solo item. And of course Jon Fletcher and his family, whose rendition of Bring Him Home, from Les Miserables, was always going to be a highlight.
Sadly there was no programme, so the names of the child performers elude me, but the young ballet dancer and the lad playing the saxophone amazed us all, as did the young singer.
Space prohibits me from naming all the other fantastic singing and skits, but they all delighted us.
The Waipawa M&D continues to be a great asset to our community.
David Petersen
Waipukurau
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