Letters: New Greerton roading layout worse than original

A reader says the Greerton traffic issues are woeful. Photo / File

Re Greerton roading layout (Local News, November 17) .

I don't know who thought this new layout was better than what was there.

The council comment "improve road safety of Cameron and Chadwick Rd intersection" just doesn't work.

Recently I happened to be parked on the left hand side of Cameron Rd close to the new pedestrian crossing.

I noticed some silly pedestrians crossing on a green light to Cameron Rd - needless to say a car had to stop for them but the car behind kept honking his horn for the first car to move on - guess he wanted silly pedestrians dead.

I've been caught in traffic from Barkes Corner to Chadwick Rd and from the old Gilmours to Chadwick Rd.

Now I note a pedestrian crossing on Pyes Pa Rd right before roundabout at Barkes corner.
The mind boggles. (Abridged)

Dick Hansen
Pyes Pa

Forgotten sacrifices

The Life Tree Cafe conversation on World War I Armistice Day was saluting those who serve, focusing on the sacrifices made by military personnel.

A young woman commented afterwards that the forgotten people who really sacrifice are the mothers, wives and sweethearts of our defence force through the years - not just in wartime.

My grandmother, a suffragette, certainly knew what sacrifice meant.

My uncle was buried in northern France but my father returned home. I salute her memory and I salute those who today see their menfolk suffering PTSD or lovingly deal with absences from home.

This year has been the year when we have celebrated women's suffrage and World War I Armistice Day.

Our PM has certainly celebrated both these events as well as taking on the new role of being the mother of a lovely daughter.

Will Jacinda teach her and our nation to salute the value and importance of women's sacrifice?

As a nation we should salute the sacrifice our military mothers, wives and sweethearts make to maintain peace in our land as well as saluting all military personnel, men and women.

Anne Margaret Cochran
Parkvale

Alcohol-based harm

The inaugural beer survey seems reassuring (Local News, November 17), until you look at real evidence around alcohol based harm. Seventy-three per cent of people drinking at low risk is good news but that doesn't really explain the $7.85 billion that alcohol costs New Zealanders every year.

Studies show that between 40 and 70 per cent of alcohol is consumed in risky drinking situations.

The survey did not tell you about the other 27 per cent of Bay of Plenty drinkers, which is where the industry makes the most profit.

Every Kiwi family is currently paying $5690 per year for other people's boozing - hardly indicative of safe or "moderate" drinking.

So before we say cheers to an improved drinking culture, we should remember that any alcohol industry sponsored study is not going mention cancer - five deaths per week, nor the association of alcohol with 30 to 40 per cent of suicides.

This study tells me the industry working hard behind the scenes to maintain the status quo and to obfuscate the truth that alcohol is a very high risk drug.

Dr Tony Farrell MBChB FRNZCGP FAChAM
Mount Maunganui