Is it ok to feel uneasy about the homeless? Help with bins was easy to obtain
Are we becoming a bunch of snobs or do residents really have the right to feel uneasy about having homelessness in their suburbs? Glenholme residents, who have been angry and fearful about the increased number of emergency housing clients living in Fenton St motels, can sympathise with Tauranga residents who have now spoken up about homelessness in their area.
Residents of Tauranga’s Avenues say they have become too scared to walk down their streets because of increasing crowds of homeless people.
The 12th Ave residents have signed a petition calling for Tauranga City Council to remove the loiterers.
The petition, signed by 26 people, asks the council to “stop all homeless people from being on our street”.
It talks about the mess left behind, the bad language and the intimidation of having large groups of people sprawled across the pathway.
Rotorua residents and businesses in the Whakaue St area are now voicing their concerns about the sale of the lease of the Ambassador Thermal Motel after new owners publicly stated they intended to put emergency housing clients there.
Locals says the area will soon be the much-needed, fresh jewel in Rotorua’s tourism crown with millions of dollars being spent on projects including the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa, QE Health development and Rotorua lakefront development.
Those concerned question why authorities would allow emergency housing to operate in one of the few motels in this prime area.
All these concerns are valid. Talk to anyone and the arguments on both sides could win a debate.
As Kiwis we are urged to be kind, to think of the children who aren’t able to find a home with their families because of our housing crisis and to welcome out of towners to Rotorua to live in one of our many vacant motels.
But Rotorua and now parts of Tauranga are suffering. Residents who have worked all their lives for their homes deserve to live in peace without people terrorising these neighbourhoods.
And then there’s, in my view, the uneasy feeling that a minority of motel owners are reaping huge financial benefits from taxpayers from the crisis.
We are told Government officials are working with sector groups on a solution to the emergency housing dilemma.
No one really knows what that is yet but we can hope there’s a silver bullet being designed as we speak.
I, for one, can’t wait for it.
Regarding the new recycling bins, (News, May 7). I too was faced with the difficulty of taking the bins out and bringing them back in as I am 93 years old and have mobility problems.
But the council has made full provision for this in that they will collect the bins from my garage and wheel them out and return them when emptied.
I found it relatively easy to obtain this help. I first obtained a letter from my doctor confirming my need, then I obtained and completed an assistance needed form from the council and attached the doctor’s letter and I sent these to the council; then two polite council officers came to ascertain the bins’ whereabouts and answer any questions.
I am very grateful for such service. Yes, I suppose I could have got a private contractor, but why pay twice? Furthermore, by using the city council’s recycling system
I’m being much kinder to the environment.
I do think, however that a pay-as-you-throw system would have been much fairer.
Don Campbell Gate Pa
Efficient service please
In reply to the Saturday, May 8 article about catching buses, yes, of course it would help with congestion, but the buses are not always reliable, are invariably late mainly due to traffic hold-ups but often not even leaving the city area in the evenings. Some buses just don’t come at the right times and when I have phoned, I was told yes it had left its starting point on time, which was untrue as I waited early until a good 20 minutes after, no sign of it. I went back home and drove to the city.
Please get us an efficient and reliable service and people will feel more confident using it.
As one person mentioned, the most common bus going around is the one marked “Not in Service”.
Lois Slater Tauranga
Well done!
I had the pleasant experience of receiving the first of two Covid vaccine doses at the downtown popup facility.
Designing from scratch and then implementing a system to deliver Covid-19 vaccines must have been a huge task for local health authorities.
Well done to call centre staff efficiently taking my booking, welcoming receptionist, skilled vaccinator and friendly support staff.
Allan Goodhall Mount Maunganui