Letters: Please upgrade the aquatic centre

Rotorua Aquatic Centre. Photo/File

Please Stevie Chadwick upgrade our much used aquatic centre!

As a busy working mum of five children I do not have the time or means to drive to Tauranga,Taupo or Hamilton to use their much better equipped aquatic facilities ... and why should I?

We already are a town leading the way in family-oriented activities, that families and visitors can enjoy. It is a shame we do not have a water slide or a wave pool or even a bigger indoor pool that can accommodate everyone, especially when events are on and the public are not able to access all pools.

I pay rates and live and work right here in beautiful Rotorua. The aquatic centre is central to many families here and a hive of activity with lessons, swimming sports events at both domestic and national levels and recreational use for both international tourists and the general population.

Sculptures are lovely but of no real use for families here. Let's look after the people who live here first as a lot of investment has already been given to ''pretty-up'' the town.

Rotorua has much going for it obviously and it is the locals who jointly contribute to that on an ongoing basis. Our aquatic centre is well overdue for an upgrade and overhaul to get it to the standard that other towns enjoy.

Keep it real ... honour the locals and the tourists will reap the benefits also.

BERNADETTE HALL
Rotorua

It was with a wry smile that I read about the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers Association (RDRR) calling for statutory management of the Rotorua Lakes Council, and not only because such a call is complete nonsense when you consider that the council has recently retained its excellent credit rating.

Six months ago, when the deciduous trees around Rotorua formed a lush canopy, seven RDRR candidates stood together on yellow signs around the city asking for your vote in the council elections.

At this time, the RDRR stood on a platform of more consultation. Evidently, things have since changed, as RDRR-endorsed councillor Rajmesh Kumar told the Rotorua Daily Post (April 21) that he was "quite shocked" he was not consulted by his own group when they made the call for statutory management. I'm sure the irony of this will not be lost on many.

As an outsider, it would seem obvious that you should let your two endorsed councillors know that you're about to call for statutory managers to take over their positions.

But it seems as though the RDRR have learnt nothing since they ran, what was in my view an overtly negative and venomous campaign which saw five of their seven candidates rejected at the polling booth.

So just as the deciduous trees have now all but lost their lush canopies, the RDRR may be able to lose their influence around the council table due to a lack of consultation with their members and their farcical call for statutory.

RYAN GRAY
Rotorua