Have your say: Vote for future

Whangarei mayor Sheryl Mai greets Governor General Sir Jerry Mataparae. Photo / John Stone

Re Paul Berks "Voice for Demolition".

Mr Berks apparently put in a submission for the demolition of the old Harbour Board building on the grounds that he preferred the land to be used as a park. He states that we are short of open space. What about the Hihiaua peninsula?

There is plenty of open space still to be developed, and bordered by the new attractive and popular Loop walkway.

The park he is proposing, once the old building is demolished, will have a backdrop of unattractive commercial buildings and a busy road right on its doorstep.

It apparently doesn't concern him that our CBD is dying with more than 40 shops unoccupied and many struggling.

It upsets me when I hear many of our generation denigrating the Hundertwasser Wairau Maori Art Centre (HWMAC) because "we don't like the look of it".

"Cultural cringe," Cr Cutforth calls it.

They prefer something bland and ordinary - "it's safe - we can live with that".

They also want to deny art lovers the chance of having an art museum right here in our city that is totally unique.

It is like a breath of fresh air then when I listen to the younger generation (and I'm not talking about children) who are energetic and positive and are working extremely hard to make Whangarei a better place. It is their future that we should be concerned about - we've had our chance.

I do agree with Mr Berks, however, when he advises us to "keep vigilant and vote wisely".
Don't allow naysayers to sabotage the best chance Whangarei has ever had to put itself on the map.

Mary Johnston
Ngunguru

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