Letters to the editor: Utilising the racecourse for homeless problem

Tiny Deane is looking for land to site a village for the homeless.

What I see in Fenton St is a large vacant space - the racecourse.

It's time this under-utilised piece of prime real estate was put to meaningful public use. Isn't Winston Peters planning to do just this in other towns as racing competes with Lotto and other forms of gambling?

If there are still people who get pleasure from using horses in this way, they can relocate to the outskirts of town.

Before the council throws up its hands in horror or puts it in the too-hard basket, it should research what has been done overseas. Whole villages of container homes have been built.

Done properly, they work.

The $20 million of local money being put into the Lakefront could have been spent in a more beneficial way.

Lesley Haddon
Rotorua

Councillors should have loose lips

It was stated that some councillors have "loose lips" (News, March 20).

This is precisely what they should have. We ratepayers are sick of being kept in the dark about what our rates are used for. More openness would create a happier community.

Let's have some "glasnost", especially in these difficult times.

Richard Kean
Rotorua