Letters to the editor: Lifestyle can’t compete with paying the bills

When you’re struggling to pay the bills, you're not thinking about NZ's lifestyle perks. Photo / 123RF

Opinion

The excellent story in Saturday’s Rotorua Daily Post Weekend on better working conditions in Australia also exposed some of the reasons why New Zealand continues to lag behind (News, May 6).

The real problems will keep festering while we try to fool ourselves that our superior lifestyle will offset wage gaps of 30 per cent or more.

When you’re struggling to put food on the table or pay the exorbitant power bill every 29 days, you’re not consoling yourself with how great the mountain biking is.

If wages can’t be increased, we should be laser-focused on driving down the cost of living.

In my view, Rotorua’s local council pressuring the central government to break up the supermarket duopoly and electricity retailing structure would be a good start.

Chris Dillon

Pukehangi

People key to inner-city revitalisation

I have heard talk of another proposed Rotorua CBD review and revitalisation.

It’s not another survey or review that is needed to help bring the streets of our inner-city back to life - it’s the people.

How do we get people into our city, with all the vibrancy which is created by people? We don’t need more money spent on surveys, and maybe more lighting or seating or more cycle paths. No, it’s a conscious effort to involve the CBD in events.

Last Saturday, I believe we missed an opportunity with our famous 59-year-old Rotorua Marathon.

Could you imagine if the marathon runners went down Tutanekai St rather than running the last couple of kilometres down Hinemaru St?

Vibrancy, excitement, noise and emotion would be created, with all the runners’ families and friends and Rotorua residents cheering them on all the way down Tutanekai St. Supporters could rediscover the shops and businesses in the CBD. The streets could be decorated with a marathon theme.

New Zealand is co-hosting the Fifa Women’s World Cup in a couple of months, and we in Rotorua are less than three hours away from those wonderful supporters. This opportunity to welcome them to Rotorua, once New Zealand’s number-one tourist destination, should not be missed.

Reg Hennessy

Rotorua

Dreams can be achieved

Regarding the article on first-home buyers (News, May 9) - it’s so good to see a story of good news on your front page.

Well done. It was a story that showed with hard work, dreams can be achieved, even in these hard times.

Maggie Bentley

Rotorua

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