Letters: Please repair Mount Maunganui's base track one of NZ's top walks

The council should focus on re-opening the base track at Mount Maunganui, a reader says. Photo / File

Notwithstanding the historical significance of Mauao and the fact that Cyclone Debbie was as long ago as April 2017, it was October 2017 before council announced its long-term planning solution.

A further eight months elapsed before the consenting process began.

It is now understood that a further two months will be required before council will be in a position to consider repair options. As yet, there are no details available of what these options might be.

The base track is one of New Zealand's most popular walks.

Given Mauao's iconic worth and cultural importance the public now quite reasonably expects that attention will be given to overcoming any further delays.

Ray Malcolm
Mount Maunganui

Focus on Base Track

Tauranga City Council continues to amaze me with their ineptitude.

Why on earth would you waste ratepayers money on the dismal Phoenix Carpark redevelopment while our beloved Mount Base Track remains inaccessible to our aged, disabled, young mothers with prams, and elderly cruise ship passengers?

How could you pick a concrete slab over an iconic and cherished walking track?

Andrew Lattimore
Mount Maunganui

Losing confidence in bus service

Two bus services that I rely upon to get home were cancelled in the past week. The reason given was that NZBus has not been able to hire enough drivers to provide the services for which it is contracted.

Regular bus users such as myself are rapidly losing confidence.

The printed schedule cannot be trusted, nor can users rely on the 'real-time app' to know if a bus is going to arrive.

Both are useless with services that have been cancelled as these have been.

I am not generally a great believer in "market forces", but it sure seems to me that bus drivers need better pay and better conditions.

Make it attractive enough and the drivers will be there.

Rather than consider that, I was told that 'the plan' would be to reduce scheduled services generally.

That will result in a further loss of confidence in our bus services.

'The plan' seems to be cut enough services permanently to fix the problem of not being able to hire enough drivers, and all will be fixed.

(Abridged)

Nick Wallingford /strong>
Gate Pa

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters from readers. Please note the following:
• Letters should not exceed 200 words.
• They should be opinion based on facts or current events.
• If possible, please email.
• No noms-de-plume.
• Letters will be published with names and suburb/city.
• Please include full name, address and contact details for our records only.
• Local letter writers given preference.
• Rejected letters are not normally acknowledged.
• Letters may be edited, abridged, or rejected at the Editor's discretion.
• The Editor's decision on publication is final.
Email editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz