Talking about reducing rates, what is the justification for conducting the council’s formal meetings out of town, necessitating all the extra expenses - including accommodation for all the councillors and a rather large entourage of council staff at the local motel? There were only three presentations at the meeting - it would have been much cheaper if they were given at the council chamber.
I am all for councillors travelling to different rural areas and hearing from locals first-hand, but they don’t need to conduct council business out of the council’s premises at extra cost to ratepayers. How much did this exercise cost the ratepayers? And what happened to the customary stay in the marae?
Simin Williams
On yer bike boys
One of the reasons many men don’t want to contemplate any alternative form of transport to the private car is that back in the day it was an important rite of passage for a Kiwi male. Having your driver’s licence signified access to adult pleasures like personal freedom and the opportunity to “shag sheilas” at a considerate distance from parental eyes.
Naturally, to contemplate riding a bike is threatening for such men. It represents a demotion of status and a loss of the freedom to range further than one’s personal energy can manage via “pedal power”.
Tough shit boys. Grey Street is the habitat of today’s young, on skateboards or en route to Kiwa Pools. They deserve a safer environment through traffic calming measures than your traditional Kiwi male sense of entitlement needs fostering.
Get with the new normal and on yer bike!
Geraldine Oliver
How not to mark resealed road
I drove down Lowe St between Childers Rd and Kahutia St, along the front of the old Winz office, the other day. This small stretch of road has recently been resealed. Apart from leaving a lot of excess loose chip on the road, which should have been swept up, the road painters have painted right over the top without bothering to move the loose chip.
Of course, with vehicles running over the top, a lot of the markings have disappeared - and what’s left is some paint that now looks old. The roading contractors now do this on every resealed road around town and on our state highways.
While driving around, a GDC vehicle was in front of me with a big sign on the back - Road Inspector - and having just received my rates bill, I’ll say no more.
Eddie Tuhaka
Alcohol proposals vague, paternalistic
Re: Gisborne council debates proposed Local Alcohol Policy changes, May 8.
What might have been a good law has failed because of overreach. The key reason people are against this legislation is because there was opposition to a bar opening in the CBD at a historic drinking hole. Perhaps if the council excluded some areas as “active public spaces” which were for nightlife, entertainment and shopping, they could flourish, all the while protecting public health. Unfortunately, the proposed document is vague and paternalistic.
Jack Marshall
Transit camp still has merit
It will be a big step forward in the efforts towards peace in the Middle East, if Israel and Hamas can work out the fine points in the current peace proposals before them.
While there is real reason to believe that a declared ceasefire of weeks or even months could lead to a complete peace deal, such optimism should be tempered with caution as several orbital factors could derail the process.
I note that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is steadfastly maintaining his pledge that Israel will make an incursion into Rafah, ceasefire or not.
I am incredulous that even the mighty US and its allies are forced to build a floating dock, several kilometres seaward of Gaza, in order to supply aid to the Gazans - whose situation is dire.
While the world wishes success to that project, one must consider what the likelihood of it being a success is. Will the Houthis allow the passage of ships to supply the platform? They will have great leverage if they again target shipping which might be seen as aiding Israel in any manner.
It can be seen by the fact that Israel will not fully open up border access for aid, and by the convoluted system it has apparently agreed to, that it will not allow any military boots on Gazan soil.
If negotiations fail all round and Israel upsets Iran and its proxies, the aid platform will provide a centralised target for any aggression.
It seems to me that the idea of a transit camp in the Sinai Desert would still have merit to save many Palestinians who still are at risk.
Dennis Pennefather
