Letters to the Editor

 

Off the leash
The Council, in its infinite wisdom, or lack of it as the case may be, decides that the Mangawhai Estuary beach will no longer be available in the early morning or late afternoon for dogs to be unleashed.

It is the early morning dog owners such as myself and those from the areas beyond Kaiwaka, some of whom start work at 9am, who gather up discarded plastic items, bait containers, plastic bags, coffee cups, drink bottles, cans, glass bottles, broken plastic toys, and paper from takeaways, and much more from Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings.

This is the unseen service we provide for our community whilst walking our dogs early in the mornings and evenings when there are few other people on the beach.

If Tilly, Puppy Poppy, Tu tu, Mitzi and all the other dogs are leashed, how can they enjoy the runs, brisk exercise and socialising that they currently have? How can we the dog owners gather up these items and others (bags full at a time) with one hand whilst the dogs strain at the leash to socialise? Neither can we elderly dog owners and walkers with walking sticks run along the beach with our dogs.

Will the Councillors who prescribe this do their civic duty and clean up the Estuary daily for us 24/7, or will the Council employ – at extra cost to the ratepayer – more staff to clean the Estuary beach and surrounding area seven days a week?

Margaret Haverfield
Mangawhai Heads