Letters to the editor: Saving golf course vital to protecting habitat

Springfield Golf Club. Photo / File

For the past 60-plus years the Springfield Golf Club, due to its diligent caretaking and pest-control strategies, has created stable and secure habitats for many native species that have made the trees, streams or wetlands their home and/or hunting grounds.

The native birds alone comprise an impressive list including New Zealand's most-threatened bird of prey, the karearea (NZ falcon), the endangered kaka as well as the korimako (bellbird), grey warbler, tui, kereru (NZ wood pigeon), ruru (NZ owl or morepork), piwakawaka (fantail), pukeko and paradise duck.

Other native wildlife such as the NZ longfin eel and koura are also present and according to expert advice the course provides the ideal environment for the critically threatened NZ long tailed bat found elsewhere in Rotorua.

Saving the Springfield Golf Course in its entirety is vitally important to ensure the habitats of our native wildlife remain undisturbed and that this precious treasure (taonga) will be preserved for future generations of wildlife and people to enjoy.

Deanna Paterson
Rotorua

Graduate or crucify?

After leading his nation to victory in World War II, Winston Churchill was soundly dumped as Prime Minister in 1945.

The war had scarcely ended but, somehow, it seemed the United Kingdom thought the awful price paid for defeating the Third Reich was all down to him.

I see the same thing happening here in New Zealand.

Caught unawares by a pandemic that required a rapid, decisive response, our Prime Minister took a bold initiative to save lives before anything else.

The naysayers already have her in their sights. It seems that, to them, the economic damage the country has endured is down to her ineptitude rather than the threat of Covid-19 decimating our population.

I have never been a Labour supporter but I have to admit, at age 40 and after one term in office, Jacinda Ardern will graduate from her apprenticeship with flying colours.

Or will she be crucified like Winston Churchill?

Ian Young
Papamoa