Shouldn't we be receiving more fully researched information, including costs, to implement on the full range of options?
I can't believe that the options are only "do nothing" or "managed retreat" where there appears to be no provider to help financially with that retreat.
Whanganui citizens were remarkably short-sighted several terms ago when the subject of raising stopbanks came up and council and Horizons decided we must do something anyway.
There's no doubt that over the next 100 years Whanganui and the globe will be faced with some major inundation issues requiring bold decisions, but there must be some interim measures.
We are talking about a two-kilometre stretch of river - this is not the Rhine where hundreds of kilometres are at risk - and this should not be a popularity contest where the option that pleases the public most wins.
MARTIN VISSER, Whanganui
Slap in face
I wonder what is the aim of the Chronicle? There are so many people and organisations trying their hardest to promote Wanganui and then the Chronicle puts a headline stating that it is said: "Crime is out of control".
I am appalled at the Chronicle's irresponsible attitude and feel it is a big slap in the face to everyone who works so hard to promote Wanganui as the pleasant place it is.
The statistics do not bare out such a heading and why should Winston Peters' opinion be put forward as a comment on Wanganui?
Those of us who live here know it is a safe and very pleasant place to live.
MARY FAULKNER, Otamatea
Drains need fixing
Re: Item in Wanganui Chronicle June 17 - "Development body given tough targets".
A round of applause for council chief executive Kym Fell for kicking along a ratepayer-funded body.
That's round one.
The second round is to sort out slack council employees and give them targets to meet.
As a regional councillor, about five years ago I spoke to the previous mayor and chief executive about flooding problems on Airport Rd and the increased water coming off State Highway 2 into weed-filled drains that crossed farmland into a drain/culvert system that was grossly inadequate.
What did the council do - next to nothing, they sprayed the weeds in the drain (currently grown back).
When I stood down from the regional council I spoke to Charlie Anderson (who was standing for a WDC seat) about these problems, but he was well aware of the Airport Rd as he drove over it at least twice a day for most of his life.
Charlie is now banging his head on the same concrete wall I used.
Clearly he is getting nowhere over a couple of problem drains and culverts - the same ones I brought to our council's notice.
So Kym, how about putting some pressure on your engineers to deliver the goods, clearly they have little idea how to deal with increased water flow.
Simple solution is bigger pipes and "straight line" the drain to discharge into the Whanganui River.
If the river is in flood use the land by the river as a flood plain (as it was designed).
Don't flood new houses on the other side of the road.
BOB WALKER, St John's Hill
Guessing game
Who is he?
Whanganui port revitalisation - Father Xmas bag.
Who is Andrew Little?
BERNARD J CORKERY, Whanganui
Pots and kettles
John Milnes - one of the "man causes climate change" bandwagon - says President Trump and his advisers are ignorant on climate change. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Trump and his advisers and a lot of the Republican politicians have had regular meetings with scientists who put forward the arguments as to why man has an effect or no effect on the weather.
Trump is not a scientist but listens to their arguments and decides what he believes is the correct take. He will also be well aware of a scientific paper that will shortly be published that proves the mathematics initially used were wrong.
The new maths prove that a doubling of CO2 will not raise the temperature even one degree.
There is also satellite-recorded evidence that shows since the rise of CO2 levels from 280ppm to 400ppm there has been a marked greening of our planet - way more growth, easier to feed the masses.
There are scientists who believe that, as the planet's volcanic activity continues to decrease, we may have toartificially create CO2 to keep the planet alive.
Historical evidence shows that when there is less sun spot activity, as there is at the moment, there is a large increase in cloud cover, which causes cooling and increased rain.
G R SCOWN, Whanganui
