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Quarry support
So the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust (NMST) is at it again – supporting the Matakana quarry expansion (MM Jun 8).
This is undermining what is supposed to be their sacred maunga, which they have agreed to protect.
Since the NMST was formed, it has supported environmental destruction throughout our area. When an Omaha resident petitioned the Government with community and Ngatiwai support to protect our coastal edges, they opposed it at the last minute giving the minister the opportunity to turn it down. Subsequently, they have come up with their own proposal presumably to take the credit.
They have supported sand mining at Pakiri, supported the Wayby tip against the wishes of their own tribe, supported destruction of the environment on coastal properties at Point Wells against the community and the Council, and supported destruction of harbour edges at Omaha and on
the Omaha River.
One can only assume the NMST gains some advantage as they clearly have no regard for the community’s wishes nor those of their tribe. We can only hope that Wayne Brown’s insistence on supporting the community will prevent expansion of this awful, destructive quarry.
Elizabeth Foster, Whangateau
Abstention criticised
Greg Sayers is the councillor you have when you don’t have a councillor!
He tells us he abstained from voting on the Auckland Council’s rates proposal (MM June 8) as a protest. Abstaining is not protesting it is a cop out. All abstaining does is support the majority vote taking away any vote against. Councillor Sayers, if you really meant to protest the rates proposal you should have voted against it. But of course that would have meant that later on you couldn’t stand up and tell your friend the Mayor, “I didn’t vote against your proposal” and also tell Rodney voters “I didn’t vote for that proposal”. Duplicitous to say the least. Rodney needs a councillor who has the courage of their convictions.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay
Essentials missing
I read with some interest the article about the new sewer pipe works starting shortly and the disruption it will cause along both Elizabeth and Queen Streets (MM May 14).
It brings to mind something that I have being mulling over for some time … Warkworth as a village has some very nice things about it – the new boardwalk along the river to the bridge and the one leading to Millstream Place, on the Elizabeth Street side of the bridge, the new viewing platform at Parry Kauri Park and the town hall refurbishment. The Jane Gifford is moored in the town basin and even the river has been dredged.
We have three shopping areas, but what really astounds me and others is that there are no public toilet facilities in either of the two satellite shopping centres – the Grange and Kowhai Falls. Why weren’t they incorporated in the original designs? How is it that our “guardians” at Auckland Council didn’t pick up on this at the planning stage? Surely public toilets are as essential as footpaths, stormwater and drains in this type of development.
There appears to be plenty of money for the niceties around Warkworth, but nothing left for the essentials.
Mervyn Bayer, Warkworth
Retail response: While The Grange does not have public toilets, Mitre 10 has five public toilets – two male, two female and one toilet for people with a disability. There are also two accessible public toilets in The Warehouse. Kowhai Falls spokesperson Bevan Morrison says the soon-to-be-built Stage 3 will include a number of hospitality/food and beverage providers, which will include further public toilets. The current design has six additional public toilets. When the complex is completed, there will be approximately 12 public toilets in the broader Kōwhai Falls retail centre, plus a multitude of tenant toilets.
Clarification needed
I wish to respond to a comment made by Rev. John Bluck in a recent letter (MM Jun 8). I would be grateful if he would please explain how New Zealand can be both bicultural and multicultural at the same time?
Lyn Chittenden, Warkworth
