Rotorua's Lakefront upgrade is not needed says a reader. Image / File
Mike McVicker (Letters, November 21) writes of the "great investment" a supposedly half-price lakefront upgrade would be.
I doubt that many ratepayers relish the prospect of paying off further debt.
In tarting up the place do we need to compete with the likes of affluent Australian coastal cities?
Last Sunday, the lakefront was buzzing with Japanese tourists.
Their big smiles and lively chatter was due to the "matey" presence of the resident swans.
I asked a youngish bloke, "How you like this place?" He replied in impeccable English,"It's extremely relaxing."
"They're going to put up a long bridge over there," I said.
His smile vanished and his response in Japanese was understandably vulgar.
Hugh Wilson
Rotorua
Reading in Thursday's Rotorua Daily Post that three Rotorua Lakes Councillors, Peter Bentley, Mark Gould, and Raj Kumar, would support a rough sleeping and begging ban for the Rotorua CBD made me wonder if a similar approach would ever be used on other issues.
For example, if there was a leaky pipe found on Hinemoa St, would they recommend that a piece of pipe was taken from Malfroy Rd to fix the Hinemoa St pipe, leaving the leak in a less public part of the town?
Or perhaps would these councillors endorse a child's room-cleaning method, where instead of putting things away in the first place, the child simply pushes everything under their bed?
As a council, there are limited tools in the kete for dealing with social issues. However, simply banning begging and rough sleeping will do absolutely nothing to address the root cause of the issue.
In my view, if these councillors were serious about addressing issues of poverty and housing insecurity, then they would move faster in areas which are the responsibility of council.
For example, they could push to introduce policy which encourages property owners to utilise their homes as long-term rentals, as opposed to short-term holiday rentals on Airbnb. This would have the added effect of accommodation businesses increasing business and being more likely to require additional employees.
(Abridged)
Ryan Gray
Rotorua
I really enjoyed reading the column by Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (Opinion, November 22) about the horrific waste of food.
The column was from the heart and well researched. However, she dealt with the world wide aspect of waste, the most disconcerting from my point of view is the fact that it is happening right here on our doorstep.
Supermarkets waste a lot of the fruit, veg and meat products - when it is no longer saleable it is scrapped.
I know many countries in the world hold millions of starving men, women and children but when it happens right here on our own doorstep then there is something seriously wrong with our thinking.
I can do very little to help those poor kids in Africa and South America - giving money to all the charities is a waste, most of it goes on administration and advertising, but we can and should do something right here in Rotorua.
Several European countries have forbidden supermarkets from throwing out unsold foods. Why not implement that here? Would it be that difficult?
Jim Adams
Rotorua
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One organisation welcomed the money but said it is 'not a full solution'.
