The original article said it appeared it may have been poisoned. My husband looked at the tree stump prior to the tree people removing it and felt it was perfectly healthy.
I am gutted to see this beautiful tree, known to withstand extremely strong coastal winds for up to 150 years, and which in some places is protected, can be so easily removed because people see it as a perceived threat to their neighbours' property. And to those who pushed for it, if you saw it as causing a bit of a mess, just look at the trees in the golf course behind us.
They are hugely massive macrocarpas that fill our gutters with needles and nuts.
If you chose to live here, you need to accept there is joy to be had from such lovely nature that comes with the environment.
The people of Napier foreshore live with Norfolk pines on Marine Parade that were planted in the 1880s, and didn't they have some massive earthquake in that time.
CYNTHIA COUPER
Castlecliff
Ills of the modern world
Have you turned off? Television, newspapers, your family as you seek the instant fix of Facebook, email and Twitter?
A world full of famine, war, inhumanity and "fake news" has little to offer the senses?
We are inundated with plastic bags, trees and migrants as we spiral towards another depression in this overpopulated world. Two billion to 7 billion in 200 years.
Kids walk out at the prospect of truancy and the unfulfilled dreams of good people surrender to suicide.
Religion, education and parenting have failed. "We" have failed as we succumb to politicians who have no heart nor soul and offer little hope.
As in the past, there is no substitute for the wisdom of age and experience? It knows no gender!
KEN CRAFAR
Durie Hill
Council poll questioned
I note with interest the report (Chronicle, September 22) that the Whanganui District Council is to "conduct a poll alongside the 2019 election on a number of electoral issues including the number of councillors and the system of election".
What possible benefit can this have when historical evidence exists that this council has ignored clear majority decisions gained from previous referenda? There is an old saying, "a leopard never changes its spots", and I see no reason to believe the results from the proposed electoral poll will be accepted by this council.
Even now, while the poll is being discussed, we have one councillor expressing his view that the reason "only 10 people submitted to the representation review" ... makes him believe "the people are reasonably satisfied or it's not an important issue ... " and another expressing her patronising view that "added poll questions at the election would confuse people".
I find these two views highly offensive. The first ignores the "elephant in the room" that ratepayers and citizens no longer offer opinions or suggestions because the council ignores them. The second assumes ratepayers are neither intelligent enough to comprehend nor able to nominate their choice.
However, perhaps all is not lost, as it seems our mayor believes it " ... was the right and moral decision" to put it out to a poll and, further, he is quoted as saying "My strong belief, and it always will be, is that it should come from the people, the electors".
Wise and noble words; correct, democratic and logical, but meaningless while the council retains the power to once more ignore the voice of the people as shown in the poll.
Accordingly, I challenge him to make the poll results on the electoral matters in next year's election, binding on the Whanganui District Council and, before voting commences, give his assurance to "the people, the electors", that this will happen.
If he does, then I for one will make the effort to understand the poll questions and to vote.
If he does not, then his credibility may suffer.
V W BALLANCE
Westmere
Send your letters to: The Editor, Whanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
