Using our landfill site a scary exercise
Idropped off a car-load of rubbish at Rotorua landfill recently.
Youback your carupinside a big, open-front shed, then get out and unload. To get there, Iwas passed on anarrow, unsealed, rock strewn, very dusty road by rubbish trucks.
Onone occasion Idrove blind through dust created by one of them.
Inside the dropoff zone, Iwas dwarfed by trucks and a big grader which waspushing huge piles of rubbish to the back of the building.
The floorwas littered by objects whichmayhave had the potential to damagemycar tyres. It is ahazardous and scary exercise to drop off rubbish at the Rotorua landfill. Not tomention hard on the car.
I amnot blaming the individuals working therewhoare doing their best within a flawed system. I hold Rotorua Lakes Council responsible, even if it has contracted the operation out. Rubbish disposal is its fundamental responsibility and one of the reasonswepay rates.
For a small, domestic user like myself the thought of needing to visit the place is one of apprehension. Iwould even say it is ahealth and safety issue. All a bit dishearteningwhenthere is somuchillegal dumping of rubbish on the side of the road.
It hardly encourages us citizens to
do the right thing.
Lesleyhaddon
Rotorua
Don’t forget this Christmas
This is a lovely time of the year— despite the lack of snow.
The shops are full of gifts and people, and the carols are coming thick and fast on the radio.
Iworked in London formany years and in Canadian cities for severalmore which meantmy previous Christmases were either white or cold andwet— okay for those of us dressedupwarmand wearing good clothes and looking forward to ahot drink and a good meal. This, however, wasnot the option for the thousands huddled under newspapers or— if they were lucky— blankets and cardboard boxes. They considered themselves
lucky if they got a drink let alone a meal.
Thus, forsome of us, Christmas becamea time of joy, family, and laughter but it also brought sorrow— wehad to walk past the ones sitting or lying on the streets, knowing there wasnot a lotwecould do other than toss a fewpennies into their tin cups. It is notmuch different here, apart from thewarmer weather and the lovely willingness of Kiwis tohelp.
Please, don’t forget them, manydo not knowwhere orwhentheir next meal is coming, formanyit is not their fault, not all of us are able to control our tomorrows.
Jimadams
Rotorua