Letters: Open the Welcome Bay slip road

Alan Ryan has had enough of the Welcome Bay Lane barriers. Photo / George Novak.

Regarding the closure of the slip road off Welcome Bay Rd. What other country spends three years inconveniencing ratepayers and residents of the local community by driving around road works and cones, to open up a road, and then close it off again?

The planners and engineers, in my view, are the source of the issue with all their so-called "expertise" and don't seem to be able to get their groundwork right for major roading services in the area or future growth.

Overseas, it's done right, there is planning, strategy, processes and boundaries. You don't build roads and then barrier them off and just leave it. Get it right in the beginning.

I too have seriously thought about bulldozing the barriers and opening up the road, however, obviously have been advised not to. Good on Alan Ryan (News, March 26). We support your endeavours to remove the barriers and open up the road again. The residents of Welcome Bay are over the inconvenience and primitive standards in place, caused by the planners expensive mishaps. Open the slip road.

Katrina Goldie

Welcome Bay

Sirens: some tips

As an old firefighter I offer these suggestions to those who are unhappy when they are woken by their local fire siren (News, March 25),:

1. Get out of bed and check to see that your property and that of your immediate neighbours are not involved.

2. If you have trouble getting back to sleep, go into the kitchen and make a batch of scones or pikelets.

3. Take them down to the fire station, where a group of tired, stressed and dirty volunteer firefighters will thank you warmly for your thoughtfulness.

4. Go back to sleep, knowing that you have made a small gesture of thanks to those young men and women who put their lives on the line night or day, for all of us.

Peter Mackay

Katikati

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