Questions for Porirua

Good on Tim Sheppard for questioning the 4 per cent rise in rates and asking questions.

Democracy is a radical concept in Porirua. The city council presents the residents with a fait accompli and then runs a farcical meeting, taking no notice of the opinions of the people.

I have yet to meet a single person who wants Porirua to amalgamate with Wellington.

Most have lost heart in trying to fight it, knowing no-one will listen.

The council expects the Titahi Bay boatshed owners to look after the sheds but the dangerous, ugly concrete outside is surely the council’s responsibility since it is on the foreshore.

I don’t believe closing the Cannons Creek pool is wise. Children need to learn to swim.

Save money by cancelling that ridiculous closing off of the main beach to cars during summer.

It means people do not swim in safety in front of the surf club and children run in and out of cars and boats, which are often four deep at the south end.

Forget about sports facilities. We have more than enough.

Provide street lighting to the whole area, trim all the trees on the streets, not just the ones in the CBD. Fix the footpaths and roads properly so they are safe to walk on.

Oh, I forgot, much of Porirua doesn’t have footpaths. Editor’s note: A letter with Anne Perry’s name was printed last week, but because of a production error, did not contain the words she wrote. This is the correct letter. We apologise to her.

I suggest a competition be opened inviting people with digital/science/technical smarts to come up with ideas leading to solutions.

The prizes offered should encourage putting on the thinking cap.

It could be an idea to have council members visit our schools at least once a year with suitable educational material to grab the interest of our students.

The council officials’ message would be that the health of our waterways depends on every one of us, so that we may enjoy play times on and around our harbour.