Letters: Council needs to be congratulated

Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Geoff Williams, mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy mayor Dave Donaldson. Photo/File

In Letters, July 28, no less than three correspondents belittled the comments of mayor Steve Chadwick when she said that she did not want a Grenfell Towers on her watch, referring to the tragic fires that took place in London.

One of your correspondents even suggested that health and safety should be ignored, while another resorted to counting fire engines.

All three correspondents completely missed the point.

Mayor Chadwick and our council were alluding to the inevitable litigation, anger, finger pointing and compensation that would be demanded if there was even a slight accident in the proposed accommodation for the homeless, and if the council was found to be guilty of allowing a building to be used that is not fit for purpose.

We have already experienced such criticism when some called for our mayor to be criminally prosecuted over the falling oak tree in Arawa St.

Our council needs to be congratulated. It was able to resist calls from an ignorant few, hell-bent on again causing mischief for our council, but instead stood strong, applied good governance, and is still working to honour its agreement to house our homeless by placing them in an alternative building, a building that will be fit for purpose.

John Pakes
Ngongotaha

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David Daniel (letters, July 30) suggests that recent letters regarding the mayor's unworthy comparison between the Grenfell disaster and the risks of the homeless shelter, is both orchestrated and puerile.

I can assure you, I consulted with no one, and I doubt the other correspondents did either.

Furthermore, I fail to see how it is childish to be dismayed by this tactic used by the mayor to justify inaction over the homeless issue.

I would have thought it a perfectly reasonable response to what is, in my view, a play to save face. (Abridged)

Elaine Mander
Rotorua

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Thank you to all the dancers who gave their all - hours, attitudes, complete attention, to give us the public, a night of entertainment for the cause of Hospice.

Congratulations to the winners.

Pity for a few of us that one table of rude young women chose to laugh and talk loudly throughout the whole show, leaving at least three tables not able to hear a thing.

They were asked to keep quiet by three people that I saw.

One lady even yelled at them to "shut up".

They did notice their contestant was on the stage and stood up to yell support raucously. I won't name and shame the table number or who they supported.

Sorry Hospice that no respect was shown for the great work you do.

Sandra Bristowe
Rotorua