Letters to the editor: Plastic bags aren't the only problems

It's not just plastic bags we need to be getting rid of. Photo/file

Bring back glass bottles

The Bay of Plenty Times Weekend ran an interesting piece about the use of non-plastic bags and how businesses are slowly turning to not use them. So I have a couple of questions: One - When are the dairy companies going to get rid of the plastic milk containers? Would not the return to glass bottles be better and then these can be recycled for future use - as happened years ago? Two - When are disposable nappies to be replaced? Each one takes 2000 years to decompose and I don't see a campaign going on about replacing these items.
Margaret Rowland
Pyes Pa

Democracy needed

I spoke to a chap last week who was considering standing for election as a trustee for TECT but is now reviewing his position. He, like me and a clear majority of others, was opposed to the recent proposal put forward by the current trustees. Despite the trustees' advised decision not to proceed with their, in my opinion, treacherous plans, they went ahead and completed a sale of $140 million worth of shares in Tilt. This timely windfall cash injection was almost the exact amount of money required to make the inducement payment of $2500 to each of the 58,000 shareholders in TECT to relinquish their shareholding.
During the deliberations, prior to the decision to abandon their philanthropic agenda, there was a suggestion made that such important business should be postponed until after the upcoming elections. The chairman was quoted as saying that a delay of the decision was pointless, as even if three new trustees were elected that may have had opposing views, the three incumbent members would hold a majority with the use of his casting vote, and therefore the proposal would proceed.
This situation seems to fly in the face of democracy and the situation can apparently only be corrected at the end of the next two-year term.
Ray Anderson
Papamoa Beach

Payment problems

It is the height of the flu vaccination season as we get into winter. An exciting new development is the availability of the shingles vaccine for persons aged 65-80. Media advertising suggests that this can be administered at the same time as the influenza shot. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health has determined that doctors will not be paid for providing this service if both injections occur on the same day. In my opinion, the Ministry has already determined that we are stupid, but this is pushing boundaries. The public will be aware that there may be "technical difficulties" in doing both injections on the same day and will be asked to return on another day for their free Herpes Zoster Injection.
Ross Ogle
Greerton

Battle continues

Western Bay District Council's vote to introduce Maori wards was rejected by voters with 78 per cent against. This result was despite the council running what was in my view a huge pro-Maori wards campaign during the voting period, a campaign that was, in my opinion, unethical, if not illegal. Just two days before voting finished, the council endorsed a remit to have Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) lobby central government to prevent ratepayers petitioning for the sort of poll that the council knew it was about to lose. Despite only two of its member councils having been able to introduce Maori Wards, LGNZ wants to remove our democratic right to have a referendum on Maori wards. Only three of our councillors voted against the remit. Our mayor and councillors in Western Ward did not tell us they were going to vote for Maori wards before we elected them. They did not consult with us before they voted for Maori wards. And just two days before the poll closed, when they must have known the majority of electors did not want Maori wards, they voted against our wishes.
We may have temporarily won the battle, but the war to maintain democracy in New Zealand continues. (Abridged)
Keith Hay
Secretary, Western Ward Residents and Ratepayers Association