RETIREMENT HOMES
Elderly villages are having to endure disturbing behaviour by families of other tenants who assume they have the right to overcrowd mum’s or gran’s small unit, and come and go at any hour of the day or night, showing no consideration for their own elders or neighbours who are in older years. These bullies when asked to amend their ways tell tenants to shut up or just ignore the pleas. Housing corporation has a great deal of this behaviour of accommodation abuse to cope with.
PHYLLIS REID
Te Atatu South
FLOODING AND ROADING
In response to the article ‘‘Why did floods hammer New Lynn’’ about why the stormwater systems failed in New Lynn on March 12, nowhere does Auckland Council take responsibility for past faulty council engineering storm-water design of public roads. Though there are good people in council, it’s not to say everything they say is true (e.g. blocked culverts). Does the general public not have any say in faulty engineering and building work approved by the council that will affect and damage private property? Does council (and government) have no ethical conscience to alleviate peoples’ suffering with compensation? Some people have lost their business, livelihood, and houses. Some had no insurance! Sure, Waitakere City Council may have had had some poorly designed stormwater projects. All stormwater engineers know to design for 100 year floods, or worst case scenarios.
RICHARD FRAZER
Te Atatu South
LICENSING TRUSTS
Are there any local MPs or councillors out there willing to step up and investigate publicly how we can get a vote on the licensing trusts monopoly on alcohol sales in west Auckland? You don’t have to take sides, in fact staying neutral would be best, but do it in the interests of democracy. Over 15 years without a vote on this is way too long. The demographics and attitudes of west Aucklanders have changed since then and as shown by the Western Leader’s survey last year, there could be a majority of people who would prefer to see the end of the monopoly and as a consequence, our hospitality industry catch up with the rest of New Zealand. Many people want the fair prices and wider range offered by the supermarkets and the likes of Nosh and Farro Fresh
RATEPAYER CASH FOR MALL
Re the outrageous and greedy request for ratepayer cash to fund events at the Northwest Shopping Centre. What a cheek from Stride Property, a private development company. To have to ask for rate funds to finance events at the centre. Being that they have made an $18.7 million [distributable] profit may I just as cheekily suggest they return some of the $70m that the ratepayer already funded getting this centre together which is how they are able to make their huge profit in the first place. They want to up the attendance there so the retailers make more money and in return, the lessor Stride Property gets more rent.
R LEMAN
Henderson
WRITE TO US
Letters should not exceed 250 words and must have full name, residential address and phone number. The editor reserves the right to edit and abridge. Opinions must be genuinely held by the letter writer. Letters may be referred to others for right of reply before publication. Mail: Western Leader, PO Box 21-167, Henderson. Fax: 836 9309. Email: edwl@snl.co.nz.