Your letters: When trees get too big for their roots

Towering: Plane trees are fast-growing and have to be replaced when they get too large, says the council.

Tree removals

In response to Rosemary Baragwanath's letter (February 2) , the London plane trees removed on Ridgway St and Drews Ave are part of a Whanganui District Council policy to remove and replace trees within the central business district when they get too large. This is to prevent significant disruption to infrastructure.

During an average year, up to three or four of these trees may be replaced with younger specimens.

This approach relates specifically to plane trees, which are fast-growing and need to be replaced every 10 to 20 years because of their impact on underground services and root damage to footpaths.

Throughout the community, our street trees are treasured and the council has developed strict guidelines for their management. There must be very good reasons for removal.
We have developed principles to ensure trees remain part of our future urban development and that public expectations about how they are managed are met. These principles can be found in the Street Tree Strategy 2016, developed with the community.

To read the strategy, visit www.whanganui.govt.nz/treestrategy.

Whanganui's trees add hugely to our landscaped environment and help make the Whanganui District a very special place to live.

CR HELEN CRAIG
Whanganui District Council

Bridging the gap

I fail to see why Paul Brooks has his knickers in a twist over the closure of the Dublin St Bridge for "programmed" maintenance on a Saturday, as contained in his February 8 editorial.

Surely any affected traffic will still be able to use Ross Fallen's London St Bridge (letters, February 7).

D PARTNER
Eastown

Editor's note: The several-times-postponed Dublin St Bridge closure is now scheduled for Saturday, February 24.

US gun greed

What's wrong, America? Stop killing your children!

Admitted, it is a little difficult when you have a lunatic as your leader.

A lunatic who is indebted for $30 million to the NRA, the most powerful lobby group in Washington.

America is run by greedy interest groups, and it is greed that is killing your children.

GRAHAM LEWIS
Whanganui

Population panic

I read Dave Hill's Opinion page panic piece on "world overpopulation" (February 8) with a mixture of nostalgia and incredulity.

Yes, we have heard it all before, and I was surprised the piece didn't have pictures of people falling off the Earth.

But the real issue is that someone can still write this scaremongering nonsense with a straight face. The Earth can easily support a population of far more than double the current number. That is just plain fact, and perhaps that is the problem.

So many are happy to talk about how we should force reductions on the population, especially on those in other countries we just consider numbers. We do not see many people saying there are too many of themselves and their loved ones, just too many of "them".

The many issues facing the world today usually involve greed, mismanagement, and power-grabbing. The solution to those issues does not come from more greed, mismanagement, or power-grabbing, so please, no more nonsense about imposing your controls on other people.

K A BENFELL
Gonville

Jacinda's baby

In response to Russ Hay's letter (February 8):
Sadly, I missed out on reading Ken Orr's letter, but Mr Hay, you write of hypocrisy yet you are pro-abortion; you are defending the murder of unborn babies. We live in a society where we value some lives and not others. We suction, dismember and crush some babies and celebrate the milestones of other babies.

I wish Jacinda and her partner all the best with their child. I sincerely hope they rethink their stance on killing children and the promotion of this. Why is it that we deem some children to be worth more than others? Is human value based on class, race, gender, parentage, physical abilities, wealth etc? What an elitist country.

I do hope you also rethink where you stand on abortion. I hope our country learns to embrace all children and value parenthood, that there is support for all mothers (and fathers) regardless of social status.

MELINDA BOLTON
Castlecliff

Send your letters to: The Editor, Wanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz