Letters: SH4 Parapara road due for some NZTA attention

The Parapara needs more attention, writes David Bennett. Photo / File

It was interesting to read in the Chronicle that most of the repairs to SH4 were completed.
[What about the] recently relabelled Auraki Stream Rd Retreat?

It had another name for the last six years, but I suppose a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

It's an example of the Whanganui region losing, in my view, a lot of roading attention when the NZTA office disappeared.

This is a road of national importance as far as we are concerned, it would be interesting to know the details of future upgrades.

This is a washout that happened in June 2015, and has had almost zero attention since then. It's that single lane, difficult to track oncoming traffic section of road just north of the Raukawa camp site.

The strange thing is that I understand that as far as storm repairs, special funding always exists, so funding can't be the excuse.

I have always referred to SH4 as the "Forgotten Highway", even so one wonders why this repair will have taken over six years, even if the new sign board promise of completion "Spring 21" comes true?

DAVID BENNETT
Whanganui

Editor's note: According to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Authority, work has begun on the Auraki Stream Rd Retreat (Chronicle, March 23).

Buying a first home

In response to Martin Visser (Letters, March 31) a couple of questions. How does he know that first-home buyers are infinitesimal in number compared to the number of renters?
Has he any factual data to support this assertion? I am sure that many renters are would-be first-home buyers given the opportunity. So assuming (big call) that half of renters would like to be first home buyers he could be completely wrong.
However my guess could be as good as his. We should be careful what we quote as fact.
I must admit that I only know three people who have bought their first home in the last few months. However all of them were renting before purchasing.
Funny that, not sure where first-home buyers come, from maybe they just magically appear.

MIKE WALKER
Fordell