Letters: Reduced speed limit needed over festive season

It's terrible seeing the news on horrific car crashes involving high speed. It seems particularly prevalent at this time of year when people head out for the holiday season and our roads fill to capacity.

While an overall reduction would be ideal it seems fair that we should consider a holiday speed limit of 80km/h on all open roads. This might be more effective in conjunction with the reduced tolerance level by police over the festive season.
JOHN HENRY
Rotorua

Skate park budget

On December 29, 2017 I read the Rotorua Daily Post article - Year in Review.
It quoted "Plans are under way for a major revamp of Rotorua's skate park which could cost anything up to $4m (March 10). Surely this is a misprint? The budget was always stated at $2m and councillor Charles Sturt said they would find a philanthropist to foot the bill, instead of ratepayers. I don't want to see the council spend ratepayer's money on more bad debt, unless the council has a business plan on how the skate park will produce an income to cover running costs, interest costs and any debt repayment.

Let's hope the council makes a New Year's resolution - to start generating profit, start paying down bad debt, only taking on good debt that adds value and generates income, spends within its means and lives up to its word.
TRACEY McLEOD
Lake Tarawera

Editor's note:
Rotorua Lakes Council's sport and recreation portfolio leader councillor Charles Sturt was quoted on March 16, 2017 saying, "the most expensive option is around $4m for the creme de la creme of skate parks, with the least expensive option about $400,000". The proposed redevelopment was later priced at $2.1m.