Letters to Editor
Park debate
The new signage that went up recently. Photo: Supplied
Waipā District Council’s decision to ban walkers, horses, and dogs from Sainsbury Road Forestry Park [near Pirongia] is appalling both in process and in substance.
To my knowledge, there was no public consultation or formal notification. The community became aware of the change when a photo of a new sign began circulating on social media. It was only after concerns were raised that the council issued a press release and Facebook post. That’s not engagement, that’s damage control.
The council’s reasoning, citing the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, doesn’t hold up. The pine plantation is not an active forestry area. When logging occurs, temporary closures for safety are entirely appropriate and have been well managed in the past. But a blanket ban is excessive and out of step with other regions – Rotorua’s Redwoods, for example, successfully balance active forestry operations with recreational use.
Sainsbury Road Forest Park has long been a valued local space for walking, riding, and enjoying nature. Removing access without consultation shows a lack of respect and trust in the community.
Health and safety matters, but so does good governance and common sense. Waipā District Council do better. Genuinely engage with the community and restore access under sensible, practical safety measures.
Tracey Hancock
Te Awamutu
Top show
Whilst we have all been of late concerned about local body elections, I would like to acknowledge the budding talent that blossomed at the recent “Alice in Wonderland” stage show at the Woolshed Theatre. It was a vibrant, glitzy interpretation of The Lewis Carroll story. To all involved thank you for showcasing the exceptional youthful talent in our district.
Janet Smith
Te Pahu
Māori wards
Waipa Maori ward candidate Yvonne Waho, third right, waves with supporters at a major Cambridge roundabout. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Congratulations to Gwynneth Purdie for her letter concerning Maōri wards (Letters, October 9). Those of our community with part Maōri heritage are just as capable of performing as any other member of the public but they do not need to be patronised by the granting of permanent votes rather than election on merit.
Many lives were lost in World War I and II in the name of freedom and democracy yet we ignore the chipping away of democracy in our own back yards. It is ironic that a democratic vote is considering an undemocratic voting system.
John Martin Lawrence
Leamington
Game of Cones
Nearly there: Work at the end of Wilson Street on the Cambridge Pathway used plenty of road cones. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
We have all noticed the delays in finishing Cambridge Road. Take the last section by Te Awa, it has taken more than three months to finally complete, but not! During the many delays, not mentioning the inconvenience to the travelling public I notice the use of the hundreds of road cones. Where do the costs fall? I am sure that if these costs are borne by the contractor, they would have finished this section of road post haste. So are the costs covered by way of a variation to the contract or covered by the Waipā District Council or roads board poor management? It may require our new mayor to investigate (Congrats, by the way).
Stu Barnett
Cambridge
