Letters to the Editor

Thank you TCDC

I cannot thank TCDC enough, including Andrea on the phones and Mayor, Len Salt,  for their amazing response in helping us get back on our feet after Cyclone Gabrielle deposited tonnes of forestry slash on our property.  I realize that we were not in any danger and thought that it might be weeks before it was "our turn" but within two days the diggers had arrived and with a bit of fantastic community support as well, we are back!  Thank you everyone. 

Mary Scott

Wharekaho

Have your say

My name is Deborah Phillips and I’m now the new chairperson of WRRA – Whitianga Resident & Ratepayers Association, since Len won the Mayoral election.

I got involved with staffing the Evacuation, Welfare Centre at the Town Hall during the cyclone and in doing so met the Civil Defence team from our local council.

What a dedicated and skilled group of people they were. I don’t think everyone understands just how hard they worked, day and night, outside in the storm, trying to save our town.

So when I read on Whiti Chit Chat the ridiculous and nasty comments directed at Council I was quite disgusted and really disappointed. But as we know, out of chaos comes opportunity.

I know I’ve got a few ideas of what I’d do differently or would like to see happen. I’m sure you do as well. So why not come to our next meeting and identify what we, collectively, as a community, can do.

March 2, 7:00pm, room at the rear of Social Services carpark. Who can come? Anyone with a good attitude.

I’d also like to say how grateful I am for all the service providers, contractors and volunteers like our Fire Brigade, the power, road and tree clearing crews, Police and Ambulance, Army and Red Cross.

As a way to say thank you, WRRA would like to host a community dance at the Town Hall fairly soon, “when we get our breath back.”

The Weather Bomb Ball

Dress casual or extravagant

Ladies a plate – men a crate

A time to come together, honour our first responders and have a little fun. We’ll let you know the details when everything is finalised.

Nga Mihinui

Deborah

Rock walls rock

I am tired of hearing from the Greens and so-called Scientists of the TCDC on the discussion around Managed Retreat. The theorists are not up to date with the facts. Rock walls will stop any future erosion during storms and protect what is left of our Beachfront reserves. Nearly every other county and city in New Zealand have them, why are we so far behind? Act now, not later.

Those who have kept up with the news will find more major damage was done inland and higher terrain. Farms flooded (stock losses), orchards wiped out, houses swamped and at Piha, Muriwai and Auckland etc where major slips have occurred engulfing homes and tragically causing the death of a volunteer rescue worker.

Who would want to move inland? As I look around Whitianga today, after we received the full force of Cyclone Gabrielle, we are the lucky ones with least damage.

I feel safer in the coastal town than any other part of the country.

Please pull your heads out of the sand and repair our damaged foreshore with rock walls before we lose more of our beautiful reserve frontage.

Peter Grant

Whitianga

Can you help

Mature, responsible, reclusive lady, with current rental, neighbour and character references urgently requires preferably long term rental or lease of a section/safe space in Whitianga, near her son, Sam Howell, to live in 7m RV/motorhome and a clean, tidy container cabin.She has a mature, well behaved female labrador, and a few chickens (would rehome chickens if need be)

What would be ideal: use of a plumbed utility room or powered shed with bathroom or toilet, to store furniture and set up washing machine, preferably fenced or partially fenced section. Very happy to maintain, and/or tidy up, improve the property and look after any gardens and buildings.

Tracey Howell - ttraceyh@gmail.com