Bay of Plenty letters to the editor: Greenfield site better option for new pool complex

An artist's impression of the $122m Memorial Park Aquatic Centre in Tauranga. Image / Tauranga City Council

OPINION

The pool complex at the Selwyn Aquatic Centre does most what Tauranga wants [from Memorial Park] and it cost around $20 million. The complete sports complex including running track etc was around $44 million.

A solution for Tauranga is to find another location with good soil conditions to build on and space.

In the current location most of Tauranga will need to drive there, so another location and the need to drive will make no difference to the community.

Let’s have value for our money, not an entrenched poor decision because it is near the CBD.

A greenfield site will give a better result and cost less. Operating costs will also be less.

I predict the TCC online survey will show support for a pool that is in the suburbs where the community lives.

Philip Brown

Pāpāmoa

Divided path serves no one

In 1893 every women and every man in New Zealand had the right to vote.

[New Zealand] wars over; England taking all our meat, cheese and butter; we were developing and progressing towards nationhood.

We have fought in World Wars, celebrated our diversity, become global players in sport, science and economics. We have learnt to sell to the world in order to buy what we cannot produce at home.

We were once all equal, but now, in my view, some are more equal than others because of their ancestry. It defies logic. We all work together, play sport together, marry together, have children together. All ethnicities, all backgrounds.

This Government is moving quickly, but sorting out the Treaty Principles bill should be top priority.

We are all one people, and we need to debate the Treaty Principles Bill for the divided path we are on serves no one well.

The hīkoi is a sad indictment in 2024 as it fosters division. [Abridged]

Margaret Murray-Benge

Bethlehem

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