Praise for Sleepyhead

The proposal from Sleepyhead Mattresses for a major new manufacturing complex, with housing for the work-force, and associated community facilities at Ohinewai, is nothing short of fantastic.

I say this for several reasons.

Firstly it will provide considerable and secure employment opportunities in a provincial area. Secondly it will move commercial activity away from Auckland and thus reduce congestion there.

It will avoid the need for many of the workers to make the long and tiring commute, as they do now from this area, to the factory’s current location in South Auckland.

It will give a significant economic boost to Huntly.

Finally and most importantly it will address the need for low cost housing.

This proposal will show that the

Waikato, with enlightened manufacturers and progressive local government providing encouragement and support, can once again come up with developments to reduce social dysfunction, and overcome some of the problems that blight the nation, and our well-being.

Central Government should declare this a matter of national importance and grant approval immediately. In the unlikely event that this will happen, then the local councils involved can surely do better than the ‘middle of the year’ they indicate approval can be given?

I am assuming that approval is a given.

So why the delay? This seems like a classic example of looking a gift horse in the mouth. The proposal is also reminiscent of those visionary developments that were built in England around 1900 by Cadburys, (Bourneville estate, Birmingham) and Lever Brothers (Port Sunlight, Merseyside) by industrialists with social consciences and concern for the well-being of their workers.

All praise to Sleepyhead management for doing the same.

This will be an example to the rest of New Zealand

Russell Armitage, Hamilton