Letters to the Editor: Friday August 3

Park parking woe

It appears Whangarei District Council is going to ignore the thousands who utilise Kensington Park and provide no extra parking. It would rather waste our money on a Hundertweisser Art Centre when that money can be used to purchase properties close to Kensington Park and more parking can be developed.

It shows that they never coach or support Saturday morning sports so don't join the masses on Saturday morning looking for a park. It is only going to get worse with more sporting codes moving into the Kensington Park area over the next few months.

As an alternative, (since they will not help), why not move football to Tikipunga Sports Park where there is parking, clubrooms and more room to expand.

I am sure parents and kids would be far better off commuting to Tikipunga where there is endless parking.

Also the council would not have to spend any of our money to make this work!

- M Oldridge, Whangarei

Gym members

I am writing to say how disappointed that last week whilst Kensington Stadium hosted the Secondary schools kapa haka competitions there was no parking space allocated to their regular gym members to park, and it was impossible to attend the gym, yet I and many others pay a pretty expensive membership.

I feel it would surely have been possible to at least designate some parking spots specifically for gym members to park in while the competitions were on.

- B Stride, Kensington

Clean up rubbish

We are the Kamo Primary School Panui Pod. All of us think rubbish is getting all over the planet, especially around schools. We agree the country needs to be clean or else our endangered species will die out when rubbish invades their spaces. If our community works together we could make a big difference!

Here's some things that could happen; Maui dolphin could breed safely and whales could live a safer life and fish and turtles could swim safely through the water. Please try!! We all want this to happen!

- Jemma Johnson (On behalf of Kamo Primary Panui Pod)

Check the pipe

Everyone has heard the standard ways to save power. Turning thermostats down is a no-brainer. The main point worth mentioning is how often do people look at the breather pipe for their hot water cylinder? I was having a new roof put on my house, only then I noticed water trickling out the breather pipe. Firstly I am paying for the water and secondly wasting power. Please look at your breather pipes. Unscrewing the ajax valve did the trick.

- Ian Ward, Whangarei

Don't pay rates

I continue to be disturbed by the reports re Kaipara District Council. Since 2009 nothing has changed re this dysfunctional council. Illegal rates collected. The mayor of the KDC has acknowledged that the council has illegally collected $17 million in rates. The mayor and CEO have apologisedbut neither has recently stated how this money will be repaid to the ratepayers. This failure gives ratepayers the opportunity to advise the KDC that they will not pay any further rate demands until either; the council pays every ratepayer his share of the money illegally taken or demand that any further rates be deducted from his or her share of the $17 million illegally taken. Ratepayers STOP PAYING your rates as the KDC already has your money.

GJ Smith, Striking Ratepayer, Kaipara