Letters: Too much talk and not enough action

Former rental homes being let as short-term accommodation is a worrying trend, a reader says. Photo / File

Well, your front-page article (News, November 23) certainly will help Rotorua's reputation as a tourist destination - not.

There is too much talk and no action.

There are more than 1000 homes that are being used as tourist accommodation that were mostly rental houses.

No wonder we have a housing crisis. It is easier and more cost-effective to rent out short term than upgrade to a Healthy Home standard and all the new regulations coming along.

Easy solution is to charge these "businesses" commercial rates from the word go, from the first ad on the websites, and if they want out, let them prove they are not a business rather than wait for them to let the council know they have gone over their 100 days.

The extra rates could be passed back to landlords who rent their houses out to families as a rate reduction which could then be passed on as lower rents.

Council should stand up and be counted, change the rules, and do it this month, not in three years' time.

Be unique, in the country that cares for their people, not all about the profits.

If we, as a country, can change the gun laws within a month then we can do the same with this major problem.

Get the houses back as homes and the motels back to the tourists.

Charles Edwards
Lynmore

Emergency test a puny attempt

With reference to the emergency rehearsal that happened on Sunday between 6pm and 7pm.

For heaven's sake, if you want to warn people of an impending danger then do it properly.

Install about four air-raid sirens around the town (as per WWII in the UK) and set them off so that everyone can hear the things!

The puny attempt of contacting people by their cellphones is silly and futile.

My phone is switched off and my wife was in the garden. I have friends who do not have a phone - so just write them off?

Yes, there are several reasons to be warned of impending danger in New Zealand but Sunday's effort would have lost half the population!

If you are going to do it - do it properly.

Jim Adams
Rotorua

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