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MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Letters to the EditorParadise lost No words can describe the horror and deep sadness I feel. The blue and green blobs look like a group of kindergarten children have been let loose to experiment their painting skills, which in this case has no merit at all. Actually the kindergarten children would have done a better job! Along with the cement planters, the numerous painted lines going in all directions making one feel dizzy as somehow they have managed to paint almost all the available space on the road. There is the ridiculous painted circle which I presume is meant to depict a roundabout which only the smallest of cars could successfully negotiate. If you are a truck or a four-wheel-drive pulling a boat (which is a constant as we live in a holiday destination) good luck there as you try to negotiate the smallest gap possible made even more impossible by the parked cars on either side to further hamper your getaway as people park and reverse. I can only imagine the chaos which will ensue as traffic builds up in the coming days and spills into the main road. Also there are the delivery trucks to consider. They will need to park to deliver their supplies. I find my confidence has been totally shaken concerning the Kaipara Council and their decision making. They clearly disregard the concerns and objections of the local people. I have not met one person who is happy with the changes. It makes me wonder what other plans they have in mind for Magical Mangawhai. As the song goes: ‘They paved paradise and put up a parking lot’. I love this community along with most people, and feel passionate about preserving its beauty and charm, but every day it seems the thing that drew most of us to make this our home or holiday destination is being sadly eroded away. Please stop! Linda Lyne Mangawhai
Just destruction! Year after year I have entreated Kaipara District Council to respect the trees and fauna in our area. They have outdone themselves this time and turned the beautiful pohutukawas which are in full bloom into a sad tangled mess. Kaipara District Council does nothing about the state of Cames Road and its dreadful condition but attacks trees which are doing no harm and are not overhanging the road. They are philistines who insult us by spending our rates on desecrating our environment. That is all we get – no road maintenance, nothing. Just destruction! Melanie Scott Mangawhai Kaipara District Council responds: Regarding the vegetation trimming, our contractors provide the attached pre and post trim photos, which show only minor vegetation trimming along Cames Road, carried out through their Vegetation Envelope Maintenance. Care was taken to prevent inflicting harm to the pohutukawa. The vegetation envelope is maintained to improve sight lines, and prevent encroachment onto the carriageway which reduces lane widths, and prevents the road surface from drying out. On rural roads (including Cames Road) the general requirement is to trim vegetation which encroaches within 1.5 metres from the edge of seal. See attached photos for before and after illustrating the minor vegetation maintenance. As well as being part of our road maintenance programme for Kaipara, Cames Road is part of a larger Mangawhai project prepared as part of the LTP (Long Term Plan). This includes a route improvement item to address the area of the Mangawhai network that Cames Road is a part of. This project requires consultation under the LTP process where residents will be asked to make submissions early next year.
Holding space One-hundred-and-ninety-four years ago many of the Maori who were living here were chased away during a period of power imbalance by belligerents who had guns, thus leaving Mangawhai with a reputation as being a dangerous place – a no-man’s land. Tapu. I have, over recent years, had several friends sell up and leave Mangawhai because they felt that ‘Mangawhai is at war with itself’. Our area is now coming under relentlessly increasing pressure for all kinds of reasons and, if we are to respect the values of community, and not repeat history, we are going to need to adopt a more inclusive approach. It is unacceptably destructive and divisive to attack those who live within our community for the views they have formed. We all have different reasons that we can use to substantiate and validate our personal opinions, but there are always limits to our knowledge and therefore to insights into the world view of others we share this place with. It might be a little difficult but it will be more productive to adopt a more conciliatory tone with a view to gaining a deeper understanding of the rationale underlying the opinions of others and of decisions that are being made. I didn't have any strong views either way on this issue of having a jetty built. But, from my experience of having worked with ecologists on other environmental preservation projects (I love trees but became involved in clearing wilding pines around Queenstown)I am aware that these issues are sometimes more complex and important than might superficially be thought. Species evolve into ecosystems and their interaction with other species, and the land, water and air plays an integral part in maintaining the balance that facilitates life. I defer to the experts on this issue. And like the fairy terns, I do not want to be scared away from this place. Alan Preston Mangawhai
Maori ward worry The ward system, like any first-past-the-post system, almost always enhances the representation of more numerous groupings at the expense of smaller ones. Sometimes this distortion is grotesque. Readers may remember when Tim’s Team won all seats on the Waitakere City Council. Maori, the other partner in the establishment of New Zealand, must be guaranteed representation at this, very basic, level of our democracy. It must not depend on luck. I applaud the integrity of our elected representatives. I am amazed that people get so animated by this issue. What are they worried about? Maori wards, per se, cannot give control to the Tangata Whenua. ‘Democracy’ is not a club with which to bludgeon a minority. Jim Colvine |
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