Letters: State Highway 2, surveys, TECT and the Census

A reader has an alternative suggestion for TECT trustees. Photo/Getty.

A call for action

How many people have to die or be seriously injured before the remote 'powers that be' decide to fast-track the upgrade of SH2 especially the Omokoroa/SH2 intersection, and the four-laning to Bethlehem. Time is not on our side.

We live in a beautiful fast-growing sub-region, and it is vital that infrastructure development keeps up with the population growth, the problem is, there are too many layers of decision making. Each layer seems to doddle along as though time does not matter, but it does, as too many people are dying; men women and children plus industry and rural operators who need to use our roads and intersections.

Years ago, Omokoroa was recognised as a population growth node, and the sewerage system was developed for 12,000, but the SH2 roading development has not kept pace, and it is not good enough.

SH 29 is another challenge, and everything happens so slowly, Belk road upgrade being a cruel example of what not to do, as it was to have been completed before Christmas. I and many people are so disappointed. Then there are other intersections like Pori Pori. We want action.
Margaret Murray-Benge
Bethlehem

A Reserve or a piece of land?

A council feedback form might ask: Would you support a four-storey building and carpark on a public tecreational teserve at Sulphur Point Marina?

Or it may ask the same question differently: Would you support the long-term lease of a piece of land at Northern Sulphur Point to the University of Waikato to build a new marine tesearch and educational facility? This is what written in a council 'Have Your Say' pamphlet.

Manipulative language, in my view, is not what the public should have to contend with in council feedback forms. Council administrators need to be more respectful of the public's intelligence when they ask for feedback.

Gun Caundle
Mt Maunganui

TECT proposal
In their haste to take money from qualifying Trustpower consumers, TECT trustees may have overlooked a much larger source of capital to fulfil their philanthropic desires with other people's money.

There are thousands of superannuitants selfishly spending money every day of every week on wasteful things like rent, food, power, petrol, healthcare and the like.

Perhaps the TECT trustees could stop this "alleged" waste and expand their quest for capital by paying out these offending beneficiaries with a lump sum of say $10,000 and after that collect the government payout by default.

They would then have millions of dollars more in income for their grandiose plans.

The first project, however, would probably need to be the construction of rest homes or emergency accommodation, for the unfortunate individuals forced from their current residences because they are no longer affordable.

R. Anderson
Papamoa Beach

Census question insensitive

Regarding the Census, how many females like me, object to the question about how many children have we given birth to?

We have an object to this box to tick, which I did.

I want to know how this very personal question got put in? How heartbreaking for those who have had a stillbirth or a baby die.

Or the ladies who want, and can't have a baby?

I for one want that question removed.

J Rogers
Papamoa

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