Letters to the editor: Tauranga Marine Park Reserve decision the right one

Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. Photo / File

Tauranga City Council in late 2019, by a slim majority, resolved controversially to revoke part of the Tauranga Marine Park Reserve (6952sq m) for a very large University of Waikato Marine Research Centre.

Former council reserves manager Geoff Canham and other notables strenuously opposed this, making substantial and telling submissions against the proposal. There is no valid reason why this irreplaceable green space should be used for a university marine research facility because this open green-space area will be required for future generations.

There is nowhere available to replace this valuable green space particularly as it seems Tauranga is already well below the required green space and recreational ratio specified by central government.

Nearly 60 per cent of responders or submitters were firmly against the council proposal, which splits the marine park reserve virtually in two.

Conservation Minister Eugenie has refused to give her consent to this aberration and I say well done.

Tauranga citizens should be euphoric over the outcome because the proposed development was unnecessary on the foreshore (it could be sited be anywhere), substantial and environmentally unfriendly.

(Abridged)

Rob Paterson
Mount Maunganui

Better Covid changes

Kate Hawkesby has written that it is of importance to open our borders (Opinion, July 30).
Although important, I don't think this is of top importance.

What is important is for us to make many changes in how we live together. We need to make a change to remodel our nation guided by principles of sustainability, non-violence, simplicity and equity.

We need to put our efforts into working to reduce climate change, to have water quality, and to live simpler lives.

It is important to provide reasonably-priced housing, low-carbon transport and regenerative food production.

It is time to throw neoliberal policies in the trash can, and to properly tax the very wealthy people and companies.

The pandemic offers us a chance to reassess the situation and to create a new community driven by these ideas. (Abridged)

Joy Rising
Greerton

Waitangi Day for Matariki

Māori Crown Relations Minister and Labour deputy leader Kelvin Davis is open to swapping the Queen's Birthday public holiday for Matariki.

I would like to suggest it would be far better for New Zealand to swap Waitangi Day for Matariki.

That would then provide all New Zealanders with two winter public holidays, which both could be linked to long weekends.

Jim Sherlock
Tauranga

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