Back up how main street will lead to rise in crime
SO wouldbe mayor Mr Radich believes the improvements being made to our main street will lead to a rise in crime ‘‘like in Cuba St’'. Rubbish. I lived in Wellington for some years and saw very little of what he claims. I currently have two family members who work in different parts of Cuba St and my grandchildren shop there regularly (because it is pedestrianonly) and they have seen nothing of the crime he alludes to.
Issues that do arise are the same in every city or town in NZ, people who have drunk too much out and about in the early hours of the morning. Cars being able to drive both ways down the main street aren't going to make a difference to that in any way. His inflammatory and attentionseeking rhetoric has no place in sensible, reasoned discussion regarding changes taking place
That said, this may be a very opportune time to update and perhaps install more security cameras down the main street that the police or similar can monitor. I love all the paving and seating being installed but I fear that it is only a matter of time before some cretin with a spray can decides it is too much of a target to resist.
Graham Bulman Roslyn
I RECENTLY spent a week in Whangarei. It has a pedestrian precinct in the centre of town. Oneway traffic is allowed to percolate slowly through part of it. I walked there night and day and felt safe. Retailers seemed to be doing well. Maybe some local body candidates should go travelling a bit more.
Ross Johnston
Purakaunui
Undemocratic mayor
WHILST reading the article about mayoralty candidate Jules Radich today I was shocked by the undemocratic attitude of the mayor and his deputy openly running down another councillor who dared to speak out. I see it as a good thing that a councillor isn’t afraid to stand up and disagree with the mayor and his outrageous ideas which seem to do very little else than waste vast sums of the ratepayers’ hardearned cash.
Mr Radich seems more in tune with the needs of the ratepayers when he worries about access to the shopping area, the safety of the area, the lack of cars in the area.
For example, how are we older citizens to go to these shops when we can’t park our cars as near as possible. Does the mayor want these shops to go out of business? What about handicapped people and mothers with several very young children?
Why turn the main street into a play area with trees? There are plenty of parks and playgrounds in Dunedin for parents to take their children to.
It seems that we older citizens are no longer welcome in the main street of our lovely city.
It seems to me that it would have been more prudent to have emphasised the beauty of the older buildings along George St and beyond by sprucing them up and getting the landlords to come on board and do their bit too!
Dunedin is a beautiful older city in New Zealand and should be honoured not treated like a holiday resort such as Queenstown.
St Clair steps
N. Wilson Dunedin
I WAS interested to see the video of the new St Clair steps being lowered into position. It reminded me of previous attempts to put steps here. Is anyone taking bets on how many months they survive?
David Tordoff
Dunedin ...................................