Letters: Residents should have a choice over kerbside collection

Are we going to be forced to pay extra on our rates for kerbside collection if we don't want it?

I don't use this now. Nothing is said by the council about having a choice, why should we pay for something we won't be using?

The public should get a choice, this supposed to be a democracy not a dictatorship.

The council is voted in by the public, they are the ones they should be listening to.

As we all know, if this happens like the glass collection, the council will use these to increase rates every year.

Janet Drake
Tauranga

Homes, cars and trains

Nearly 250 new homes in Kaimai Views at Omokoroa ( News, May 15 ), but this does not include all the other houses and sections for sale.

Two hundred and fifty new homes equates to at least 500 people, plus possible school children.

This means probably nearly 500 extra cars a day (most families have two cars) going into Tauranga or Katikati for work, plus schoolchildren going to school.

The Omokoroa Point School roll area finishes at the railway bridge, all major subdivisions are now past the bridge, so they have to go out on the already clogged highway to go to school.

Railway will never be built because of the number of freight trains using the single-lane track. Come to Omokoroa and hear the trains.

There is a bus service but obviously people do not want to use this as they are mostly empty - the bus runs first thing in the morning and in the evening.

If children have school activities after going to college in the day, the buses do not run near schools so pick up in a car is essential.

Western Bay District Council wants at least 10,000 people to live in Omokoroa in about 10 years, the SH2 cannot cope at present.

I never make an appointment in Tauranga before 10am as it can take an hour and a half to get there.

Even leaving home a couple of times at 9.45am in the past two weeks, can take me 50 minutes to get to Tauranga city - a journey of 20 minutes on a Sunday.

This is not only Omokoroa. Katikati is also growing at a fast speed, with more cars.

Wendy Galloway
Omokoroa
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