Food and thought
To those who designed the road, cycle and walkway along Whittaker Street in Kihikihi – a big Thank you. Obviously, a lot of thought has gone into how the community lives and what would be an added extra.
How cool to be walking to school and being able to pick a mandarin off a tree for your lunchbox or to snaffle a couple of lemons for that lemon meringue pie.
Wel done. Looking forward to more of this more thoughtful approach to village planning
Barb Cahalane
Kihikihi
Kihikihi Cycleway
Well said
I congratulate Gwynneth Purdie on her letter (The News September 12) around Māori Wards.
At the time of the council, along with many other councils, making the undemocratic decision to create Māori wards, I wrote to the council asking for their rationale. The answer from both Waipā and Taupō, two councils that I get to vote in, was that Māori were underrepresented. Women, people under 40 and children are all unrepresented – should we have a ward for them? Of course this would be ridiculous and unnecessary, but you can see my point. I also made the point that what they were doing was insulting to Māori as they were very capable of standing for local council seats, in their own right.
The problems around local bodies are our fault. We don’t vote in great numbers, we don’t get the right people to stand, so we get what we deserve. I am being disrespectful to those on our current councils, as I am sure that they want to do the right thing. Councils need to go back to basics and do their core roles well.
If we want a Māori voice, and I am not sure why their views would be more important than anyone else’s, then let’s encourage candidates by all means, to stand for the general seats on councils.
Dennis Catchpole
Te Awamutu
Letters to Editor
