Whanganui letters: Marae investment will prove its worth

Whanganui District Council has set aside $3.5 million in its 10-Year Plan for marae upgrades.

Letters to the Editor

OPINION

It’s socially cohesive, logical and forward-looking to support the maintenance of marae over the next several years. Well done to our council decision makers.

That $3.5 million will be very carefully used dollar by dollar to intelligently and practically build community and wellbeing initiatives. It has proved its worth as a cultural construct over and over again.

As tangata tiriti inquiring into indigenous ways in Aotearoa and elsewhere, I see a window into the past and a road forward.

August 9 was the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Together, we are resilient.

CUSHELA C ROBSON

Whanganui.

Food grade phased out

I was interested to read your “Burgermania” article about two new burger outlets opening in Whanganui recently - it’s amazing to have seven specialist burger joints offering different options among the great selection of food outlets now located here.

I just wanted to comment on the article’s reference to A-grade food hygiene certificates - with the introduction of the Food Act 2014, these grading certificates were actually phased out. Food outlets should not be displaying these certificates as the last of them expired at the end of 2019.

Under the current system, businesses undergo a comprehensive verification process - covering confidence in management, food safety behaviour, process control, environmental control and compliance history - before being given a verification report.

Hopefully this clears this up for people so they know there’s no need to look for a food grade when they’re out and about and choosing where to eat.

JASON SHAILER

Whanganui District Council operations manager, regulatory and compliance.

Tidy cabins a better alternative

The cabin on the front page (Chronicle, August 2) is considerably tidier and better placed than at least 10 others I’ve noticed recently.

In fact, if requested I’d be happy to name at least a further 10 which I know exist around the city. They are all in the front of the properties. It seems since landlords are asking for such outlandish [rental agreements] and houses are so scarce, there is no alternative for a lot of families.

If our new mayor is as concerned about families as he states, perhaps he could consider an amendment to the District Plan?

Many local streets contain houses literally falling to pieces (many still lived in), and they are intolerable to people maintaining their own homes and sections and having to live next door to rat-infested hovels.

Wake up, council - life isn’t as it used to be, and as long as there are smoke alarms in the house and cabin, surely it’s a better alternative than sleeping on the lounge floor?

SHIRLEY FORWARD

Whanganui