Those of us who were born on the land, farm the land and derive our livelihoods from the land comprehend, understand and appreciate the land much more than urban loudmouths I’m quite sure.
Terry Creswell
Treatment disappointing
Great letter Graham Mackey (July 23, Beer Garden would bring back life).
Yes, it is disappointing to see this young man being treated this way. Our council could show more support.
We now have a National MP whom it seems a lot of people voted for - maybe she could show us what she’s made of!
Question ... is the school compliant and does it have a building warrant of fitness?
More letters to editor please and show your support.
Kevin Mastrovich
Footnote from Ed: Gisborne District Council responded to earlier questions to say the building warrant of fitness for 39 Gladstone Rd is current, and the building meets fire safety regulations. Re: compliance, the council says that under the current Tairāwhiti resource management plan, educational activities are a permitted activity in the CBD if they are not undertaken on the ground floor. As stated in our July 20 article, a resource consent application to operate the school on both the ground and first floors is on hold until the kura advises how it intends to legally formalise the existing rear fire escape route.
‘Idiots’ for being steamrolled
Thanks to Manu Caddie for reminding us that those who have raised concerns about Grey Street are “idiots”.
Yes, we are “idiots” for not fighting harder to stop the council, NZTA and Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust steamrolling all over us.
However, even idiots know when democracy is being trampled on, and when our elected representatives refuse to answer the concerns surrounding this project.
The Grey St mess has made many of us “idiots” very dissatisfied.
Roger Handford
Gut it, start again
Re: Public service cuts short-sighted, cruel - July 24 letter.
What part of the government is broke do you not get?
Short-sighted cruelty is taking out even more debt. Don’t privatise the bloated public service. Just gut it and start again.
Too much wellbeing is the root cause of public service inefficiency. The bureaucracy is still well. It’s the people who are sick.
Just wait until you get your new rates bill.
Any government or council that is spending more than its income is bloated. What else can you call it?
Peter Jones
On a backwards track
Looks like National wants to see us back on the same track as previous National governments. They want to move off the track of a caring and inclusive society with low unemployment and better incomes.
When they left government in 2017 they left huge deprivation, homelessness, and poverty. They left underfunded and understaffed public services, and filled-up schools. They closed 15 police stations and reduced police numbers relative to population.
Public services couldn’t cope with the 10%, 500,000 extra people who were in New Zealand after their nine years, so the same public services were never going to be enough to cater for all of us.
Labour then had to try to fix these deficits in six years, which was always an impossible ask. Then they were accused of overspending, even though we had Covid and cyclones and Labour built more houses than any government since the 1970s as well as building schools and hospitals; they increased police, tradies, and nurses, and were increasing wages to keep people in New Zealand.
After just nine months the Nats are definitely back on the backwards track they were on before we had a progressive Labour government. They’re already giving our wealth away to landlords, charter schools, childcares, boot camp operators, tobacco and mining companies and other party donors, while increasing benefit sanctions, car regos and RUCs; rates and power prices are also going up.
They’re also borrowing - so goodness knows where the money put aside for ferries and new hospitals and schools has gone. I imagine it’s gone the same way as the black-hole deficit.
Why do we do this to ourselves? We need to build for the future.
Mary-Ann de Kort
