Letters: Te Manawa needs more than a few tweaks

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The new City Focus I believe needs more than a few tweaks to get it right. I drove down to the Focus from the Pukuatua St side and tried to do a left turn into Hinemoa St. I must say it was an interesting experience.

The area wasn't busy but the turn left me wondering where I was going to finish up.

Sorry guys, this design is almost as good as the inner city cycleway.

Again I think council planners/engineers etc have not thought this through. The area as it stands would make a great kids playground.

I call it the Focus because I don't think it does Te Manawa any credit.

DEREK PACKHAM
Lake Tarawera

Benefits of fireworks

I defy anyone to give a sensible reason why we should have fireworks in New Zealand - fireworks that are sold to and used by 1 per cent of the population in order to derive some meaningless enjoyment from making other people suffer over a period of several days on and about the 5th of November every year.

These fireworks - the "banger" variety serve no purpose other than to make a noise; they are not pretty to look at, neither are they beneficial to anyone, all they do is to annoy people who want a quiet evening and to scare the daylights out of pets - mainly dogs, who don't understand why the noise is there.

In much of the United States the sale of fireworks to individuals is prohibited; only organised displays are allowed - so should it be here.

I know that many people agree on this point so maybe it is something the council should both look into and implement before we are subjected to yet another year of mindless agony.

JIM ADAMS
Rotorua