What positive work is the ORC doing?

THE Otago Regional Council has been frequently in the news of late but none of this paints a particularly positive picture of its performance.

Examples include issues over work being done on the Water of the Leith, the debacle over the Otago Peninsula bus service, particularly that provided for school kids, the less than stellar effectiveness of the haemorrhagic virus K5 on the Otago rabbit population, the nonnotification of consents for Remarkables skifield developments, and the proposal to set a minimum flow on the Cardrona River, whose lower reaches dry up naturally over the summer months.

Added to this is my personal experience of onsite stormwater systems for subdivisions in the Wanaka area —presumably approved by the ORC and the Queenstown Lakes District Council — not working.

What sort of culture exists within the ORC? John Milburn

Wanaka

Build Dunedin hotels

WHY does the Dunedin City Council not look after the needs of the city instead of building extravagant bridges to nowhere?

We badly need more accommodation to attract more tourists and highend travellers to our lovely city. First we had an investor wanting to build a hotel down near the Chinese Garden but that site was no good — it spoilt the view so the deal fell through.

Next we have another man wanting to build a hotel in Moray Pl — great news! But no, it was too tall, would cast a shadow on the Octagon. Poor man persevered and persevered, but now he’s off to Queenstown.

We need to get more people using our local airport and that means more beds needed in Dunedin. Why not offer sites in Princes St? Plenty of empty buildings there.

Surely a lovely large hotel would get rid of some of those empty eyesores of shops? N. Wilson

Dunedin

Whose responsibility?

I WISH to object to the foulsmelling, grossly overfull rubbish bin

(wheelie bin) halfway down the public walking track behind Port Otago’s ‘‘D Shed’’ on Beach St, Port Chalmers (this is Port Otago land).

I rang Port Otago six months ago. They emptied it, but would not do so again in March. I think the council did it after I rang them.

It is again overflowing with general waste, fish scraps and the usual quantity of dog dirt.

Noone from the Dunedin City Council, Otago Regional Council, the port, or even rubbish contractors accepts responsibility for emptying the bin.

Do I have to use bolt cutters to free it and bring it to the yacht club car park to get it emptied?

Ray Scott Port Chalmers

Waste for heating

RECENTLY I was on a magical trip to Shetland, a textile discovery tour.

My B&B hostess said all household waste is collected and delivered to Lerwick where they have a very large incinerator, running at very high temperatures.

The heat from burning the waste is then piped to all the dwellings in town and the surrounding ones for home heating in radiators.

In remote areas they have tidal turbines for electricity.

Could we here in New Zealand incinerate our household waste and use the heat for good purposes? Diane Bennett

Te Houka ..................................

BIBLE READING: I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. — Genesis 28:15.