Letters: Pukeroa Oruawhata should address social issues such as the lack of Maori housing

The former Rotorua RSA building which is now under development by Pukeroa Oruawhata. Photo/Ben Fraser

Congratulations to Malcolm Short and his team (at Pukeroa Oruawhata). A marvellous success.

However, having achieved the pinnacle of commercial success is there now an intent to address the social issues such as the provision of housing for Maori.

Perhaps it is now time to join up with the other big players such as Te Pumautanga so as to be able to come to some consensus in regards to this matter.

There is no question that the lack of housing for Maori can be a major contributor to child abuse and domestic violence and it may well be that we as Maori have reached the threshold whereby we need to step up to the plate in regards to these matters.

Kia kaha, Kia maia.
Nga Mihi

JIM GRAY
Rotorua

Empty CBD

The letter in Thursday's paper by Steven Millstead (Letters, Our city needs a new focus) while truthful and observant, sadly does not recognise the real reasons for empty shops and declining patronage for the rest.

The real reason for this decline is because Rotorua like all cities and towns in New Zealand, were designed in the era of the horse and cart.

With narrow streets and service lanes, if there are any; they were not designed to be serviced by the big rigs that now bring supplies from near and far that you see servicing supermarkets etc. Hence shopkeepers have to fetch and carry their own supplies.

Something we Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers people found with our survey of the Green Corridor last year was the number of complaints the corridor caused for their businesses to be serviced, even by a courier.

Just to deliver a small parcel that might be quite heavy, they can't get near.

Things have changed and our economy now runs on diesel, not horse and cart or model T trucks.

That is why we now have malls where people can park without being pursued by parking wardens. Nobody shops on a bike and never will.

All these factors have a bearing on business and other countries find the same thing so it is not a local problem that can be easily solved by tarting up a few street corners with silly statues for the seagulls to poo on.

AJ MACKENZIE
Rotorua