Letters to the Editor.
The Bridge For Nothing.
When will the madness end? 40-60 million dollars to repair 150mtrs of highway. When finished, we will still have the problem of flooding at Prescott's Straight & at the Wade.
The Tapu & 309 roads are now worse than they were 30 or more years ago. For the amount of money being thrown around, there needs to be a fix for the future. There should be a new road cut to bypass the slip & lift the Prescott & Wade roads by a metre or more to prevent future flooding. Also improve & maybe tar seal the Tapu Rd, so we have an alternate route to get to Thames Hospital, as is crucial for many people all year round & at any given time. It would be nice to see some decent machinery being used instead of the " Tonka toys " that contractors appear to be using. With the Thames Coast Rd, they have to stop carting the slip material off to the Waikato & instead use it for building more safe areas for picnic & fishing along the coastal areas.
As for the Beachfront, we should be suing Environment Waikato for failing to protect us from the storms. There has been millions spent on consultants since cyclone Bola, when a blind person can see we need a rockwall along Buffalo Beach (as has been done the world over for centuries) instead of a few grasses. If they have their way, we should all retreat to the hills.
Do people realise Scot Simpson has been our representative in parliament for more than 15 years & has preceded over Whitianga fast becoming a backwater? If the Whitianga Waterways hadn't been given the green light years ago, we wouldn't have any optimism going forward.
Peter Mcgillan
Whitianga
Residents & Ratepayers
As interim Chair and Secretary of WRRA I am responding to last week's letter to the
Editor from Linda Cholmondely Smith. This is a load of nonsense. If you really have any concerns come to the WRRA AGM, 23 July, 3:00pm, Whitianga Town Hall.
Deborah Phillips
Whitianga
Sell - new owners - re-zoning – housing – a win, win for all!
Recently in the Informer I had a “Letter to the Editor’ advocating the selling of the Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC)owned owned land at the Sport Park in Moewai Park Road, Whitianga.
I have received so many calls on this article that I felt obliged to do a follow up on this. Also, I have to believe this has huge potential for our community, I would like to put forward some scenarios that could make it a win, win for all parties.
My strategy for this concept is to provide opportunities for young people and keep them in the area of Whitianga and Mercury Bay.
As stated in the previous article the land was established in an ideal setting off the old highway roading work and developed by Hopper Waterways concept plan. Then it was handed to TCDC to complete the project which unfortunately has not happened. Enough of the rhetoric. Now, for the action and I must state that these are only my thoughts and ideas but - we do need some changes made, - we do need to finish some things that are yet incomplete; and we do need to fully use our available land for the people who are paying their rates and taxes to enrich the quality of life here for all.
My five points:
1. TCDC to sell the land at an affordable price to give prospective buyers opportunity to expand.
2. That in that action, TCDC seek guarantees that protect the integrity of the concept plan as a sporting complex into the future.
3. That the portion of land to the left of the development which presently contains two rugby grounds, be re- zoned.
4. The re-zoning of this above portion of land be to enable extra density housing to allow for affordable homes.
5. The balance of the development would stay with present recreational zoning.
6. The above five points would give prospective buyers sufficient opportunities to make this a viable option.
Who can take up this vision?
Noel Hewlett
Whitianga
Am I stupid!
I look at all these slips around the Peninsula and think to myself, does NZTA and TCDC ever look up or are they only focused on the condition of the asphalt.
In nearly every slip, wilding pines are associated with the mass of debris falling down. Pines do this, grow fast, get top heavy and fall down, lousy root system.
Why isn't a concerted effort put in to cut all pines and other species on the road edges. There are many leaning over the road at critical angles waiting to cause an issue. These trees should be cleared and if on private property the owners, including DOC, should be made to pay.
Peter Muller
Whitianga
Rotary Cyclone Relief Funds Available
The Thames Rotary Club has funds available to donate to people or organisations who have been affected by the floods that followed Cyclone Gabrielle.
Our Rotary District, which encompasses most of the eastern side of the North Island, has been the beneficiary of overwhelming and heart-warming financial support from many generous clubs and individuals throughout New Zealand and even from Australia. These funds are to be used to assist with recovery from the disastrous floods experienced by the district.
The Thames Rotary Club has already distributed $8,300 and expects to receive a further $7,000 shortly, and it plans to allocate this before the end of June.
The Thames Club is the only Rotary Club on the peninsula, and we are aware that there are those further from Thames who need assistance. We would like to hear from any individual or group who is still experiencing cyclone related difficulties.
Applications for funding, outlining what the money would be spent on, should be sent to the Thames Rotary Club, giving your contact details, at thames.rotary@gmail.com.
Greg Davenport
Thames Rotary Club