Letters: 1080 poison drop a waste of money

PREDATOR: Ferrets pose a risk to native birds.

With an election coming up, I feel this would be the year our major parties lose some ground for not listening to the taxpayers of New Zealand.

Reading that the present Government plan is to drop 1080 poison over 800,000ha is just another of the Department of Conservation's disgusting contaminating wastes of money.

The only true pests we have in New Zealand now are the bush rat and wild ferret. There is no doubt the reason to continue the aerial dropping of poison is to take out our larger animals, which are deer, wild pigs, goats and wallabies, together with native birds, pheasant, quail and ducks.

All these will be left to decay and leech into the waterways, rivers and the lakes. How can any Government doing this expect to gain votes?

$21 million has been earmarked for this project. I believe the money would be better used for projects like water quality, health and education.

There is only one party with a policy that would benefit New Zealand and they will get my vote.

I strongly believe more Kiwis out there should look carefully at what each party policy is and vote for the one that is going to be best for all New Zealand.

MW EDWARDS
Murupara

Mamaku community

Re: Silence shrouds a Mamaku mystery (Rotorua Daily Post, September 2). The article attempted to paint a dire picture of a community of top people who have lived their for many generations and ... has sent wave a bad vibes around a community which is resilient, committed and looks after its young.

As a councillor I have paid Mamaku more than passing interest with my drive to provide a wonderful youth space with skate park and playground.

Kerbing and channelling of the streets has been ongoing over the past five years and I signed as chair of operations and monitoring a tender to provide more kerbing and road drainage facilities which should be commenced prior to Christmas.

The community is based around a wonderful school well-led and administered, daycare centre, volunteer fire brigade - the envy of many - and a low profile Mamaku Residents' Association.

The issue here is the lack of community policing in Ngongotaha, which covers Mamaku, Kaharoa, Hamurana and Ngongotaha.

The officer called into the schools, worked with business owners and the local community groups, and the volunteers provided intel on the goings on in the community.

Government policy and funding saw this community focus go off what for me and all residents was an essential.

The question to MP Todd McClay is why have all our Rotorua community policing stations been closed and yet in places like Epsom, serviced by an Act MP, flourish?

COUNCILLOR CHARLES STURT
Rotorua