Letters, November 10: Developers pay already

Re: "Is Variation 21 good for Hamilton?" (Waikato Times, October 21): I wish to comment on the mayor's remarks about the costs of providing roading and services for new retail or office development outside the central city.

The mayor omitted to mention that developers pay for the new roads and services for each development.

Tainui paid for the roundabout outside their development, and constructed all the roads and services.

On top of these costs, Tainui paid development levies of hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus increased property rates, which I see as revenue gathering. Where was the cost to ratepayers?

It is obvious the community wants The Base development. Revitalisation of the central city is taking place; all cities change and redevelop. For example Hood St and Ward St have changed their use three times in the past 50 years.

How much support do council and its staff give developers? As a developer I see the council as only providing hurdles for us to jump, with little support.

Our mayor says we are happy with open debate; Variation 21 was pushed secretly into place; then they say we will now consult after the fact. (Abridged)

TOM ANDREWS

Hamilton

Sow's ear

There is an old adage you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear; the Hamilton City Council's proposed Variation 21 is a complete no-brainer. Successive councils since the 1980s economic downturn have thrown money at various projects to no avail. The council encouraged a proliferation of gambling and liquor licences and dens of inequity, interspersed with a limited number of high-class restaurants that are one by one sadly disappearing. The landowners in the central city need to use their own initiative and redevelop the area and stop dreaming that it's the council's responsibility.

There need to be more quality apartments, also high-rise budget accommodation for people in further education. A youth prison and a remand prison should be built between the police station and the courts.

Government agencies, particularly Inland Revenue, should be housed in high-rise central city sites, not in sprawling buildings and creating traffic hazards adjacent to the racecourse and other parts of the city.

Variation 21 could force Tainui to invest future returns outside Hamilton.

The development of the central city, two top hotels and the accessible The Base development have to be the best city projects of the past 20 years. (Abridged)

RAE RAVENWOOD

Hamilton

Flawed beliefs

The letters of Tom Powell, Gina Whyte and Bryan Walker give the erroneous impression there is a "small but vociferous group of deniers" of climate change. Their arithmetic is as flawed as their beliefs and they must be aware of the groundswell against their beliefs:

The so-called sceptics believe in climate change – we just do not believe it is man-made.

The sceptics take the reasonable attitude that the science is "not settled" unlike the alarmists.

The scientists now have updated data and science that proves the planet is in a cooling period.

In 2008, more than 31,000 scientists signed a petition and 650 international scientists from 24 countries endorsed a statement against man-made global warming; and last month 61 prominent German scientists sent an open letter to their chancellor.

However, it is the calibre of dissenting scientists and the quality of their articles that is significant. Science has never been determined by consensus, otherwise we would never have progressed beyond the horse and cart.

W R H WEST

Hamilton

Not Christian

I would like to know what the Christian Youth Camp at Ngaruawahia deems to be a Christian religion?

Inquiries were made recently about the possibility of hiring the camp for a family reunion in the near future.

The person in charge asked what religion they were?

When they stated they were Latter day Saints (or, as we are more commonly known, Mormon) they were promptly told no. Now how Christian is that of the camp management?

I would like to point out to these people that our church, The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, was the first post New Testament church that actually has the name Jesus Christ in it. Before that every other Christian Church was named after a man or a religious movement. We are not a religious movement but a church built upon a firm foundation of Christian beliefs and ideals. My letter is not to debate the beliefs of my Church but to point out that the attitude in judging this family of not being worthy to use the camp, because they are Mormon, is narrow-minded, bigoted and unchristian-like. (Abridged)

CHERYLL EDDY

Hamilton

Editor's note: The management/board of the camp were approached for a response but were unable to supply one for about two weeks. Their reply will be published when it is supplied.

Flooded fields

Further to Sue O'Neill's wonderful and succinct letter (Waikato Times, October 30) on the Hamilton City Council's proposal to make changes to Minogue Park – four rugby fields, etcetera – and to substantially reduce the dog off-lead area, I would like to add a further point.

Providing for four rugby fields and car parks on this flat area – soggy with areas of water visible for up to nine months of the year – means draining this large area.

As the lake is at the same level as the fields, draining the fields will also mean draining the lake.

The resulting situation will be the same as the Hamilton lake debacle many years ago.

Also, I have strong reservations about a system where the council has decided that all those who did not wish to submit in person, against those that did, meant that the 76 out of 77 who submitted to leave the park as it is were ruled against. The silent majority was deemed to agree with the council proposal, which is hard to believe.

Leave Minogue Park as it is. (Abridged)

CECILIE McSHANE

Hamilton

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