There have been plenty of strong news stories in the Bay of Plenty Times over the past couple of weeks. Here are my straight-to-the-point views on six of them.
1 Mount surf reef
The $1.5 million artificial surf reef off Tay St was hailed as a magical wonder that would provide two world-class waves, lift Mount Maunganui's profile and pump cash back into the local economy. Nearly a decade later, the project is in tatters with the regional council deciding to dismantle the reef because it's dangerous for swimmers. It has also been described as a flop. Instead of bringing us cash, it has cost us dearly. What a waste of time and money. The aggravating factor is a lot of public funds went into this shambles, with the city council putting in $300,000 and six trusts also getting behind it. So, who is accountable? And imagine the good that money could have done in our community.
2 Registering cats
An animal rescue group's push to require owners to register cats in Tauranga is absurd. Microchipping is a great idea for obvious reasons, but it should be voluntary. Calls for city councillors to consider compulsory registration and limiting the number of cats people can own are simply distracting them from this city's real problems - like trying to reduce debt and balance that with community needs. There's enough nanny state regulation in our lives as it is. Irresponsible owners of dogs that attack people and those not registering them are the real problem. Let's get that right first and leave cats and their owners in peace.
3 The royal tour
What a wonderful distraction this royal tour by the Cambridges has been. There are many serious issues in our society so it was nice to see the couple and baby George on television, in the papers and on the internet smiling, interacting with Kiwis and generally brightening up the day. It brought a much-needed feel-good factor. I'm not a royalist but, from what I have seen, this trip has done wonders for New Zealand's reputation overseas. This can only be a good thing for tourism.
4 Mayor's new executive
Mayor Stuart Crosby and deputy Kelvin Clout have demanding jobs, and law changes have made them more accountable so an executive officer to provide high-level support and advice does make some sense. But the way they have gone about it doesn't. Councillors, under pressure trying to cut debt while walking a tightrope in proposing to trim community services and hike rates, were not aware of the scope of the position. Perception is everything when it comes to public money. If this new role had been created from a wider restructure where there were actual savings then it might not have been so controversial. The mayor and councillors must be totally transparent with ratepayers on what is happening next with this.
5 Bridge crash sentencing
Inadequate is how I would describe the punishment Iain Stewart Crisp received for the Maungatapu Bridge tragedy. His sentence of 350 hours' community work, nine months' supervision, and $38,000 in emotional harm payments on driving and drug charges falls short of what I had expected. There was no evidence cannabis found in his system contributed to the crash but surely the fact that a life was lost, and another man came close to death, should mean some jail time. This case leaves me with the impression our courts are simply administering law rather than providing justice for victims.
6 Students helping others
There have been some fantastic examples of local students helping others in need. Tauranga teenager Zoe Beck spent hundreds of hours volunteering for charities and fundraising; four Tauranga Girls' College students organised a disco to raise money for child cancer; 12 Girls' College students donated toys and games to children at Tauranga Hospital; and 23 young men at Aquinas shaved their heads to raise money for a friend who has cancer. These students, and any others who have done similar deeds recently, deserve credit and praise for their efforts. We need good people like these doing good things for sick people. They and their families should be proud of them.