Controlling pests
A correspondent (Letters, February 5) suggests we read a book about 1080. The book is based on anecdotes and decries the use of 1080 for controlling pests in our forests.
I recommend a book based on science. It is called Protecting Paradise – the fight to save New Zealand's wildlife by Dave Hansford. Online there is also the excellent – and shorter - Report on 1080 from the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. To see for yourself, go to Pureora or Whirinaki where 1080 has been widely and repeatedly used. You will find healthy, flourishing forests loud with bird song.
Ann Graeme
Tauranga
No-show bus
I had a none too pleasant non-experience with the updated bus service on February 8. I was at the Maungatapu shopping centre bus stop at 2pm and I finally had to ring up a family member to pick me up at 3.30 pm.
Now I don't mind a bus being 10 minutes late. I've lived with Christchurch, Auckland, and Canberra bus services. But 90 minutes and still showing no signs of existence? The new timetable says the Maungatapu bus service - the CrossTown one - is half-hourly. Yeah
right!
In my experience, the coach companies and the airlines always have something in place to compensate for such problems. By the looks of it, this bus company is going to need something similar. Or it won't have any customers.
Wesley Parish
Tauranga
Sea level change
Regarding the article on sea level rises (News, February 10). Quoted was research that Western Bay of Plenty needed to prepare for sea level rise of 1m over the next 100 years. Yet also quoted is Ministry for the Environment stating the average relative sea level rise for the 100 years up to 2015 was 1.8 millimetres a year, which if the rate continued it would take over 500 years to reach 1m.
The last 100 years included impacts on the Earth's environment and climate, like two world wars, nuclear bombs and testing in the Pacific, volcanoes, motor vehicles that were not clean burning, industrial pollution, and the list goes on - and yet the sea level rise was only 1.8 mm per year.
So, I would suggest that the next 100 years the rise would be more like 100mm not 1000mm as reported.
Matt Welsh
Mt Maunganui
Toll roads
Who can explain the fairness or logic of increasing the two Tauranga toll road fees when
Auckland has two new tunnel roads toll-free?
The beautiful new highway out of Wellington from Raumati to Waikanae is also toll-free!
Tauranga needs some good representation to the NZTA on this unreasonable tolling, and proposed increase.
Can the NZTA please explain why we are in effect subsidising other road users? Do we remember we also paid for our first Harbour bridge (and more) by our tolls?
M Chandler
Tauranga
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