Peter Dare
Rotorua
Broken promises over water decision
I am extremely wary of people who do not keep their promises - to me that is clear deceit and it smacks of untrustworthiness.
Labour has done just that.
It came to power on such promises as not allowing overseas investors to buy New Zealand property, this has just been changed.
I know of many people who are not impressed with this kind of government, I would suggest that a hasty review be undertaken as soon as possible.
Jim Adams
Rotorua
Issues with flood review
The terms of reference for the flood review were approved on June 1 and released 19 days later, presenting a fait accompli.
While many aspects of the public interest have been addressed, In my view, there are serious limitations to purposes, methods and resources.
The purposes are to understand why Ngongotaha subdivisions flooded on 28 to 29 April, advise the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua Lakes Council on prevention or mitigation, and clarify the responsibilities of these bodies and landowners regarding future residential development.
Special reference is made to climate change and long-term implications about regional and district planning, stormwater infrastructure, catchment management, future land use and subdivisions, and mātauranga Māori. All essential.
Absent from purposes is the need to review planning and resource consenting practices. Common sense defines them as causal factors and the panel lacks expertise in these areas.
Absent from methods is a systematic review of international research. Without it, the panel will lack an independent and comprehensive summary of relevant science. Excluded is an evaluation of the local and regional civil defence response and recovery, missing the opportunity to learn from recent experience.
The September 1 deadline is arbitrary. Instead of the panel being expected to develop "robust and valid findings" it should be assisted with methodological expertise to collect valid data in order to develop reliable findings.
In the interim, Jenny Salesa, Associate Minister of Housing, should be asked to return RLC's recommendation for a Special Housing Area to be built on the Waiteti flood plain.
(Abridged)
Reynold Macpherson
Rotorua
How Ōpōtiki got its name
It's taken a fair while to learn how to pronounce Ōpōtiki properly.
The macron must be a fairly new boy on the block and the Ōpōtiki District Council has voted to ensure their inclusion in te reo to get the correct pronunciation.
But about 300 years ago there was an old rangatira from up in the Waioeka Gorge making his way down to the Waiotahi Estuary to get a feed of cockles.
Anyhow, he stopped in the middle of the bridge and looked over the rail. He saw this mighty tuna swimming upstream slowly.
He thought the tuna was lucky as it had all day to do nothing.
To get a better look at the tuna he climbed up on the rail and looked down at the tuna.
You'll never guess what happened next? The tiki he had on a flax plaited string slipped over his head and fell into the water.
Now guess what he said?
"Aw poor tiki", was heard by the general public on and around the bridge.
There were no macrons in play in those days and it appears that it's taken 300 years for the populous to figure out how Ōpōtiki got its name.
It's always been "Aw poor tiki" to this dumb Pākehā, not Opotiki. The gateway to the Eastern Bay and beyond none the less.
Rod Petterson
Rotorua
