Letters: Scrapping Rotorua mud festival was common sense

We read that after a comprehensive feasibility study the council has scrapped the mud festival.

It sounds impressive but surely all it took was a bit of common sense. Over $500,000 wasted already. Are there any people at the council qualified enough to decide on spending (and wasting) such an amount of ratepayer's money?

If there were, then Rotorua would not have been the laughing stock of the world, especially South Korea, when our mayor decided to import mud from a country with known cases of foot and mouth disease.

Fortunately our farmers got the wind of this absurd idea and put a stop to it. I don't think ideas of our council impresses many ratepayers.

HARRY BRASSER
Rotorua

Every year I go to the Anzac Day dawn parade and every year of late I find myself getting quite annoyed.

Why arethe mayor and other dignitaries seated and under shelter for most of the service?

We are privileged to be there to pay our respects, remember and thank those that lost their lives or served time for us. I myself am more than happy to stand for as long as it takes.

If the returned soldiers (most of many who are very old and frail) can stand throughout the service (sometimes in the wind, rain and cold) then what makes the mayor and co so special that they need seats and shelter?

It struck home even more this year when in one of the prayers it was said "as we stand beside and amongst". Perhaps our leaders should lead by example.
DAWN FRANKLYN
Rotorua

We would like to comment on Ryan Gray's comments regarding RDRR trying to score points over the recent flooding in Ngongotaha housing development.

Mr Gray may not be aware that the proposed housing area has flooded three times in the past 10 years.

We sent photos to councillor Sturt of the area in flood in 2012 who then forwarded them to councillor Hunt in March this year.

These are the people who are elected to make a decisions on behalf of ratepayers – shame on them for letting it go as far as it has.

It doesn't take much to work out that water runs to the lowest point and you won't change that.

[Abridged]
PAULINE AND JOHN DE JONG
Rotorua