I am told by the council they don't own it. I am told by Tranz Rail they only own the corridor. I am also told by Tranz Rail that a contractor in Whangarei is paid to spray the sides of the tracks every six months. My mother has been gone now nearly three years and I have only seen the outside of the fences sprayed about twice and that was when she was alive.
There are people who live by this mess and really look after their gardens and homes yet they aren't getting a fair go. The grass is high, creepers climbing up and over and through their fences. Once the long grass was set on fire and filled the houses with smoke.
We had been spraying ourselves, but why should we? We pay rates. I rang the council and spoke to a lovely lady who was going to get someone to make contact. That was about a week before the opening. Still waiting.Jan SinclairWhangareiCalendars a hit I recently received two emails from friends overseas to whom I sent Northern Advocate 2012 calendars.
They really love the clever selection of photographs. As I sent 10 in all I expect to get some more emails soon because I too am impressed with my purchase (for a worthy cause too) at a bargain price.
Thank you to all concerned.
Marion Newman,Whangarei
MMP empowers
I understand why John Key would say ditch MMP - it might make his life easier to not have to work with other parties in Parliament, and to not have to come up with policies that have broad support.
But the reality is he has made MMP work (as Helen Clark did before him). It's been to the advantage of voters right across the political spectrum that parties work together and one party doesn't get to decide everything on its own.
MMP gives power to voters. The power to elect a local MP. But also the power to vote for the party we want, and have a real say in the Government of the day regardless of where we live. We've used that power to change governments when we want to as well.
I haven't heard one criticism of MMP good enough to give that power up - especially when we get an independent review of MMP if we vote to keep it.
Paul Doherty, Onerahi
Priorities, please
re Hundertwasser Proposal
In these days of accountability, the Whangarei District Council should ask Deloitte if on their projected findings of 160,000 people annually (or 438 people every day) they would be prepared to cover any shortfall should this not eventuate.
I would imagine that, if pushed, the figure they would be prepared to back could be significantly less.
After the initial rush of visitors, many of them Northlanders, Whangarei would be relying mostly on international travellers and a few Kiwis from further away on holiday.
If it falls on ratepayers to support this project in the current economic climate the WDC should be looking at its core responsibilities to the people of Whangarei and getting its priorities in order.
Bruce Dickens, Whangarei
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