Why not Tauranga you ask. Well, where is the cable car going up the side of the Minden Hill to the café/restaurant above the viewing platform?
Where are the luge tracks coming down with zip lines?
Where is the Agrodome complete with all types of sheep, cattle and deer to view? Where are the 80haof botanical gardens with its French, Japanese, Chinese, English and Australian themed gardens bordering the Wairoa River?
If Tauranga wants cruise ship tourists to remain in Tauranga, we need to stop treating them as income and give them something to remember and rave about.
PS. Rotorua Museum was wrecked by the Kaikoura earthquake and has been closed since then and not one tourist has missed it.
Rick Greig
Tauranga
Spending priorities
Western Bay of Plenty District Council is going to build a bridge over the Wairoa River for cyclists which will cost $5.2million (News, January 29). Another clip-on is planned for the other side of the road bridge so that the total cost will be around $10.4million.
The Omokoroa to Tauranga Cycleway is expected to attract between 130 and 200 commuters a day. Compare that to the 12,500 vehicles that struggle through Katikati each day.
The $10.4 million budgeted for the cycleway could be put to much better use at Katikati.
An alternative solution to the "Katikati Bypass" is to build a two-lane sealed road from the end of Hyde St to Henry Rd. This road would be less than half the length of the proposed bypass but would follow much the same route.
Council's budget contains plenty of money for other "nice to have" things like the $12million for two boat ramps in the harbour. It also contains $7.2million for other roading works in the Katikati urban area and a whopping $43.3million for "transportation" in Omokoroa.
Council had no qualms taking from other budgets to pay for the Katikati library. It should take a bit more and get on with building the new road. Alleviating the traffic problems at Katikati would make the trip a bit easier for about 12,500 cars a day ... $2000 per car. That's much more cost-effective than $52,000 per bike.
(Abridged)
Keith Hay
Secretary Katikati Waihi Beach Residents and Ratepayers Association
Allocation of hospital resources
After suffering a pulmonary embolism I was treated with the greatest professionalism and compassion by the doctors and nurses and porters at Tauranga hospital, my humble thank you to Doctors Ratham, Cadzow, and Dr Nigel Houston, nurses Rachel, Joebo and Daniel, and the CAT scan technicians who were recalled to work and Elva.
It seemed incongruous and possibly frustrating for nurses and doctors in a difficult work environment that they were using hand notes rather than mobile software technology while patients were tapping away results light years ahead on their iPhones is there a better way?
Ian Davies
Tauranga
Mount's new park
Regarding the article on January 31 about the closure of the Mount's new $2.5m park, let us hope that these improvements will make it a far better space than what we have now.
Could I suggest that Deputy Mayor Clout remembers he is in a governance role and not management regards his comments re the hiring of security guards?
He is part of a governing body who have employed a chief executive who seems to be "shaking the tree" so to speak, let Mr Grenfell sort the management decisions.
No doubt it is too late now as finishing work is about to begin, but could I suggest a visit to Whitianga Town Centre, would be beneficial to both councillors and management.
Thames Coromandel District Council has recently completed a "whole main street" upgrade along with Town Square not too dissimilar to Te Papa o Nga Manu (Phoenix) for $3.1 million.
Including shaded areas, both natural trees (actually phoenix palms). Wooden seats, not ramps, a wee bit of history including Captain Cook's arrival 250 years ago; shock horror for some Tauranga residents and councillors, fancy mentioning "history".
And to top it off, a place called a skateboard ramp off to the side, a space for all generations; mmm just wondering what happened at "Phoenix"!
Don Hoult
Tauranga
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