Letters: Where have all the birds gone?

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I live on the edge of Lake Rotorua, and have been able to observe the bird life for the past 30 years. This has given me great pleasure. I have also fished from our canoe.

Over the last year I noticed with regret that a large number of birds have vanished. There still are numerous black swans, but last spring there were not as many cygnets as in previous years.

The kotuku, pukeko, kingfisher and scaup numbers are also down.

Would you be able to offer some explanation of this to me?

L PRINCE
Rotorua

How much is the local council spending on advertising to justify putting our rates up?
Yes, I am a ratepayer and I don't go along with all the touchy feely nice to have expenditure on one hand and then "we must put the rates up and charge our ratepayers".

I own my own home, and insure it to make sure that if an event happens and it gets damaged it's repaired accordingly. Whose fault is it if it's not covered?

Ask the same question of that mob in council and see how they squirm and come up with reasons that beggar belief. It's only $14.20 per year for each and every ratepayer.

So how many years is this going on for? The council owns that building and it runs as a business and has another business leased out inside it. What would happen to any other business that found itself in that position?

Yes, that's correct! Without a bottomless pit of ratepayers to suck off, it would go broke and close up.

This council needs to be slapped hard over this, and it's time for those in charge to 'fess up and sort out the situation they're in. All those touchy feely nice to have things should be put on hold until that fiasco over the museum is corrected.

I'm going to divide that $14.20 by four and deduct that from my rates instalments until they get their acts sorted.

They can take me to court to get the rest if they so desire. I don't mind. I might suggest all the other disgruntled ratepayers do the same.

ROD PETTERSON
Rotorua

In her column (Rotorua Daily Post, May 3) Rachel Stewart likens 'elderly, white males' to 'pesky autumnal flies'. Thanks Rachel. You really made my day.

BRIAN HOLDEN
Rotorua