Letters to the editor: Famous old Cat Stevens song still has relevance for Rotorua

Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens. Photo / NZME

Cat Stevens' 1970 song "Where Do The Children Play?", which harks back to his childhood growing up in a London basement apartment, still has relevance in Rotorua, where we're grappling with ensuring everyone has access to adequate housing and places to play.

In April last year, councillors unanimously approved the Open Space Level of Service Policy, which guides the council on how much space we set aside for recreation in our city and the quality of said spaces.

This decision led to the council's proposal to sell parts of a handful of reserves in exchange for housing, and to put the proceeds towards improving the remaining reserve land for all.

While still very light on detail, the proposal to sell parts of reserves for housing looks to strike a good balance between opening up land to build desperately needed housing, and retaining places for children to play.

While Cat Stevens' wondered where the children play, in Rotorua, it's even more dire when we ask, "where do the children sleep?"

If Rotorua continues to turn down proposals to increase housing supply in our city, as we did with the Ngongotahā special housing area, then the answer will continue to be Fenton St motel units.

Ryan Gray
Rotorua

Lazy and cruel

There is no way motels are appropriate for long-term stays. They are designed specifically for short-term layovers.

The homeless problem is not unique to NZ. In the US, providers must repurpose motels at a significant cost per unit to ensure they are adequate for long-term stays.

Using existing facilities is lazy and cruel to those that have no other option but to live this way - amongst gangs and drug addicts, mentally unstable people and criminals. Even those who are socially resilient eventually fail to cope.

It must be a nightmare to end up with little ones having to live in these dreadful surroundings.

The Government should be building purpose-built facilities, instead of taking the expedient, wasteful path of accommodating those in need in motels. There is a surplus of land out east which would more than suit.

Seeking a five-year consent suggests Government cannot or will not fix the problem. In the meantime, Rotorua's Fenton St visitor accommodation is being destroyed, and those not offering emergency housing are victimised for being in the locality.

Economically and socially, it is a bad move for Rotorua to allow emergency housing in motels to continue.

Peter Jones
Glenholme

Truly beautiful

The pou whenua unveiled at Titokorangi Drive are outstanding carvings (News, June 27).

They are truly beautiful, and the carvers should be proud of their work. Stand tall by your carvings. Such an asset to the forest.

Viv Radley
Rotorua

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