Letters to the editor: Put scoreboard at Waiotapu Village, SH5 crash hotspots

A reader says the 80km signage around the Waiotapu Village is okay but there needs to be a scoreboard put up at both ends of SH5 showing the number of accidents, injuries and deaths. Photo / File

I do agree there needs to be more signage around the Waiotapu Village (News, July 1).

The last accident according to your paper was 400m north of the danger area, which means the intersections were in no way involved in the accident.

The 80km signage is okay but there needs to be a scoreboard put up at both ends of SH5 showing the number of accidents, the number of persons injured and the number of deaths.

These can be like a rugby scoreboard where the number can be changed as the tallies go higher. And not just a little one either, but something large and easy to see.

Whether the deaths go at the top or not can be decided by Waka Kotahi.

(Abridged)
Rod Petterson
Rotorua

Council and mana whenua will make own decisions

Mark Gould (Letters, July 7) implies a council/mana whenua committee being established to consider Three Waters reforms will make decisions on behalf of Rotorua Lakes Council. That is not the case.

It will have recommendatory powers only. Council and mana whenua will make their own decisions.

The committee's purpose is to discuss the impact of the reforms on existing council/mana whenua partnerships and make recommendations relating to that, as was conveyed at council's July 5 meeting. Meetings can be viewed on council's YouTube channel and agendas are on council's website.

The committee will have five from council and five representing mana whenua groups with whom council has partnerships and legally binding commitments relating to water bodies, for example, iwi-owned springs supplying water to our community.

The intent is to ensure a more robust, well-informed and co-ordinated approach to decision-making by council and mana whenua entities, providing a forum to discuss the reforms, identify risks and opportunities and coordinate respective responses.

Gould also stated "assets will be sold". It is proposed council-owned assets remain in community ownership but new water entities will manage these and have oversight via a governance structure.

Extensive information about the proposed reforms is on www.dia.govt.nz

Gina Rangi
DCE Te Arawa Partnership
Rotorua Lakes Council

Pay decent wages

We are suffering a shortage of tradesmen mainly because, in my view, general wages have crept up and the minimum wage has kicked in and trade employers who pay above that don't seem to pay more as they think they are already paying enough.

Trade employers need to pay decent trade wages. Young people are thinking why should they do an apprenticeship to be paid not much more than those who don't. It will push up trade rates, and, being an electrician we are responsible for our work for the rest of our lives, so that has to be reflected in our pay like it is over the ditch.

If you want the services of a tradesman, you have got to be expected to pay.

(Abridged)

Graham Holloway
Tauranga

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