What about bus depot eyesore

Wonderful to hear about the new Art Deco-inspired buses - just a pity they won't be here for Art Deco Week.

Mayor Barbara Arnott said the Napier City Council had been keen to find a transport solution to link the CBD, Marine Parade and Ahuriri, "so tourists can get out and about and explore the best of what our city has to offer".

May I suggest a good place to start would be for tourists to embark on one of the $600,000 buses at the Inter-city bus seat - next to the wall-plastered-in posters, without toilet facilities or refreshment counter and with a minute copy of the inner CBD.

I'm sure visitors, tourists and conference delegates will be blown away by the unique approach to the "suitable and stylish" Art Deco-flavoured bus depot.

Why does the council maintain a deafening silence in regards to this shabby introduction to our city?

Imagine if you arrived at the airport and it still sported tin nissan huts.

Come on, Napier City Council, tell the ratepayers what, if anything, you plan to do, or has the money all gone on the buses?

Anne Parore

Napier

Ratepayers' needs

I agree entirely with Andrew Frame's letter in Wednesday night's paper, re the Art Deco buses.

I first mentioned this in a letter to Hawke's Bay Today on June 20. When will the council consider the ratepayers and the taxis that need business taking tourists to Ahuriri?

Hope the buses are not used at night, as I was reading that drunk patrons are falling into the sea down there.

Maybe we need pool fences around that dangerous water, like folk have to at home for their pools.Val KingCliveAmerican offerI see in your newspaper (October 7) that Trevor Douglas Wakely, of Napier, states that during World War II (he thinks) the Marines made the offer to bridge the Manawatu Gorge as an exercise.

Yes, he is partly correct, but the true story is that the Americans only offered the New Zealand Government that they would supply the labour if we supplied the materials.

This, on New Zealand's part, was impossible as we had only just come out of the Great Depression and then been thrown into World War II in 1939, and though the offer was made it was an impossibility in those hard and difficult times.

Brian Steele

Hastings

Wheelchair access

Re: Boardwalk. What a great asset to the Ahuriri area. But what happens when you get to the HB Fishing Club?

There is no footpath at all, so while pushing a wheelchair you go right out on the road, around the parked cars on the corner and then attempt to come back off the road and up the broken entry to the boat ramp. Let's get it right.K EddyNapierPlanting treesRe the announcement of the awards for countries that have the best forest policies. I've observed over the years that paddocks are bereft of trees.

It seems the policy of the older generation was to cut a tree down and replace it with a new one so that in 40-50 years the farmer would have shelter for the animals.

It appears that we are all out to plant forests for gain, so rewards are financially paid out for ... pine trees!

Isn't it time we replenished the shelter belts of beautiful trees that used to abound in our paddocks, so when we drive through the countryside we can see their beautiful foliage in clusters with stock sheltering beneath the broad branches?

One knows firewood is needed but let us think of the animals' welfare as well.

Pauline Sagina

Mahia