Letters to the editor: Safety and perception in Rotorua

Rotorua from the air. Photo / File

Re safety and perception (News, May 30). As a 90-year-old Justice of the Peace, I have spent the past 10 years working from home, taking declarations, witnessing signatures and all the general work that a JP is expected to do.

During this time dozens of people of every ethnicity, colour and religion have crossed my threshold and during the course of our conversations all have been grateful for their life in this city.

This includes locals and not one has ever voiced concern over their safety - in fact, quite the opposite.

That speaks for itself.

Alf Hoyle
Lynmore.

Burn off

Rotorua urban residents have had to replace their open fires or non-compliant wood burners with new appliances or alternative means of heating their homes, often at considerable expense.

I was therefore surprised to read in last Friday's Daily Post, that a controlled burn-off was under way in Pukehangi, that it would continue until Sunday, and that smoke could affect western suburbs.

I took a drive that day to see what it was all about, but did not see the actual fire.

The smoke, however, was so bad in the very light westerly breeze that it made my eyes smart, and Mount Ngongotaha was barely visible.

I thought burn-off operations were a thing of the past but this is but apparently not so.

The pollution from this event must have been as bad, or even worse, than that from many of the old fires in Rotorua's homes in pre-compliance days.

(Abridged)

Ronald Mayes
Rotorua

World's weaknesses

Thank you to G Shutter (Letters, May 28 for your positive suggestions, including opening up more diverse local grown manufacturing.

The recent events are showing up the world's weaknesses.

Instead of criticism and competition we need governments who work together, and this includes our own political parties.

Joy Maskell
Lynmore

Perceived "threat "

What a way to welcome visitors to Rotorua with Saturday's newspaper headline, Perception threat, and article filling the front page on the first long weekend after lockdown.

We are trying to encourage visitors, not discourage. This could have waited until Monday.

I feel a lot of promotional work the local tourism industry is trying to build has been pushed back through headline grabbing.

I am all up for discussing this perceived "threat ". I have been a resident in Rotorua since 1978, lived and worked here, and have always felt safe.

Marg Kelly
Rotorua

Dog owners

Once again an aggressive german shepherd off the lead, in the Redwoods.

Dog owners must be made to act sensibly. German shepherds are bred to be aggressive, attack dogs, that is why the police and armed forces use them.

Any aggressive animal should be kept on a lead at all times in the Redwoods.

It is not fair to people with harmless dogs, many walked by elderly people. The council must take notice that aggressive dogs make life extremely unpleasant for other dog walkers.

Jim Adams
Rotorua

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