It is cannabis, not cream donuts, that pose a danger on our roads

DR Tosh Stewart (ODT, 28.9.20) says that in deciding our proposed voting position we should consider the ‘‘harm principle’’, as he goes on to state ‘‘since smoking cannabis is an individual choice that harms noone but the user, the law should mind its own business’’.

This seems to be often said, yet those doing so ignore the very real dangers of cannabis use and driving.

I don’t feel I need to worry about the person who gets behind the wheel after the consumption of a great number of cream donuts nearly as much as I need to be concerned about the number of ‘‘potheads’’ who will get behind the wheel after a cannabis session.

Cannabis use can most definitely harm other people in society.

Jacqui Reith

Roslyn

Provincial growth fund

WITH reference to a report (ODT, 25.9.20) regarding funding from the Provincial Growth Fund for the Lake Wanaka Lakefront development, it is quite clear that Central Government sees projects such as these as being nonurgent at these very difficult times and hence have declined funding. Queenstown Lakes District Council should now realise that not only Central Government disapprove of these projects.

A large majority of local residents are against such developments on our foreshore.

It is time council came to their senses and totally scrapped these unnecessary works, by leaving the foreshore in its natural state for people to enjoy.

Stage one of the Lakeside Development (the car parking) has been completed and would be without doubt the worst works that have ever been carried out on our lakeside.

Could the council explain why the ever ongoing planning on stage three (the dinosaur park to the marina) is continuing and have the necessary consents been obtained, or is there something more sinister going on that Wanaka people are not aware of?

Come on council and councillors. If expenditure is required in our town start spending on more important issues.

Neville Harris

Wanaka

Water quality

IT is a bit rich of ORC chairman Andrew Noone to describe the Kawarau River as having ‘‘very good water quality’’ (ODT, 28.9.20) when his organisation has consented the QLDC to dump 45,000 cu m per day of treated effluent into its bed, along with leachate containing unknown amounts of heavy metals from the Victoria Landfill. I suspect the area sampled by Land Air Water Aotearoa was above the Shotover junction where the QLDC disposes of its waste. I challenge the ORC to sample water below this point and then tell the public the Kawarau River has very good water quality.

Gavin Dann

Alexandra