From the Editor

Re April Fools Day By Pauline Stewart.

Explanation from the Editor

Last week’s front page (Proposal for SH 25A due out this Saturday, 1 April) written by Guest Editor Trevor Amundsen has brought a lot of response and the full range I might add.

Trevor wrote this with my full knowledge and support and The Informer team adding embellishments to the front-page photo, along with Peter Grant contributing the Mary Poppins cartoon. At no point was offence intended. April Fools Day was not the day of publication, but we tried very hard to make it clear we were connecting this to the approaching April Fool’s Day without being insultingly obvious.

Primarily, we hoped people would be able to laugh a little at a situation over which they have no personal power to change - a broken highway.

We acknowledge the situation is dire and businesses, including The Informer, are coping with difficult operation and delivery costs and business is very vulnerable. Some retailers and hospitality venues are extremely fearful of their livelihoods over the coming months.

We intended readers to find some humour and help them connect with others in that.

The other motive was to provoke some new thinking not necessarily in conjunction with that piece of road - for that we have to hold our breath for Waka Kotahi to tell us their decision.

Perhaps the new thinking can be in ways to increase the economic reach of the Coromandel Peninsula and in how to share costs, improve our common plight and to unite in speaking up more when things don’t seem right or fair. I apologise if hurt was caused, or offence taken. Thank you for speaking up and giving your opinion and I’m glad some of you had a chuckle.

My opinion

I am not a long time resident but for the thirty years I have been travelling to the Coromandel it has always been disappointing to see that no major work was ever done on those one lane bridges; not one of them ever became a two-lane bridge. This was despite the huge increase in tourism. Destination Coromandel was selling the Coromandel everywhere, even in Australia and there was enormous investment and development in residential infrastructure and tourist businesses by private companies such as Hopper Construction and solo tourist operators. Little of note that I could see has been done in terms of roading improvements over several governments to instil confidence from the taxpayer in the competence of New Zealand Transport Association to achieve what they are now promising in a time frame that is acceptable in 2023 and with limited funds that need to be shared across a cyclone ravaged east coast.

An increase in management costs at any level of government (public servants, consultants, ministration) must equate with an increase in outcomes and results for the people paying the costs. What has happened to that basic principle or am I missing something?