Terrible tolls Tolling the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway is exactly the wrong thing to do (MM May 20). A toll of $2.80 will double the traffic flow on the old State Highway from 7000 vehicles per day to 15,000 vehicles per day. Even a toll of $1.50...... Read More

Mind-boggling Shane Bygrave, Tindalls Bay The apartments shown in your March 18 paper, which Council has allowed to be built by the water in Gulf Harbour are totally unsuited to this location, in my view. It is not only the height but the lack of a...... Read More

Gimme no shelter Once again, we see the erosion of our green coastal reserves as evidenced by the article in your paper about the sun shelter to be erected at Sunburst Reserve, Snells Beach (MM March 18). It is really telling that Mr Phelan Pirrie, the...... Read More

Dogs on beaches Louisa Geller, Arkles Bay It seems incredible that Council issued no fines for breaches of the summer dog on beach bylaw on Coast beaches (HM March 4). Everywhere I went this summer, whatever time of day, there were dogs both leashed...... Read More

Open workshops Claire Teirney, Stanmore Bay (abridged) I’m writing regarding our local board making their workshops public. I believe that this absolutely needs to happen with the exceptions being when there is a commercial or privacy issue...... Read More

Defence of cattery I would like to put in a good word for the Sandspit Road Boarding Cattery. I have known Julia for over 60 years and have always sent our various cats to her cattery when necessary. My son even brings his beautiful Burmese up from...... Read More

Waste-to-energy Your waste-to-energy (WtE) article (MM Feb 19) grabbed my attention, in particular this – “The only way WtE could compete is if landfill taxes were dramatically increased. In short, we’d have to pay a lot more to get...... Read More

Bin options needed Shelley Baker, Tindalls Bay Like your editor, I also pick up rubbish as I take walks around the local area (HM February 5). I have been doing this for several years and there has been a big increase in the amount of litter I find...... Read More

Reservoirs for Dome With little thought for the environment or local people, Waste Management, owned by the Chinese, want to establish a landfill site in the Dome Valley area to the north of Warkworth. Local knowledge says that this will become a huge...... Read More

Board needs shake up John Clements, Orewa I see in the December 4, 2018 issue of Hibiscus Matters that the Local Board is prevaricating about opening workshops to the public. It’s an example of where the board misses out in its reluctance to engage...... Read More