sunviews editorial
TXT MESS AGE
BOARD It is certainly a short sightedness of the FOPP to oppose the angle parking on Browston Street which will not affect the park whatsoever. We need more parking around Wanaka and this has provided it many times during the year. Angle parking is also safe for the driver entering or leaving the car as well. I think it is unnatural and unhealthy having thieves in our community and drunk drivers on our roads. Seeing as the law is no deterrent to these people perhaps everybody knowing their names will be. If you go to court you did something wrong. Simple. Keep naming them. Just read the Wanaka Sun re: park or parking lot. 2 dangerous 4 motorist 2 c oncoming traffic when at STOP sign on Dungarvon St wanting 2 turn right onto Brownston Whose bright idea was it to rip up the road near Rippon right before our town has visitors for Easter? To the red head lady I gave a lift home to on Saturday night, I hope your hangover wasn’t to bad the next day, my car still stinks of vomit thanks a lot! Why does our tap water smell like a swimming pool & taste like the swimming pool? Is it to hide the diquat put near water intake or a wrong dosage mistake? As new zealand is now far from clean and green lets not sacrifice people’s freedom as well. This whole no freedom camping bylaw is rubbish. Provide more toilets and educate instead.
Council, in the time honoured fashion of local and national government agencies worldwide, seems to have forgotten how to write documents in a simple, understandable format and it seems there is already confusion on the streets about the council’s changes to our rates which have been approved this week. The plan to introduce a tourist tax on facilities used by tourists, among other rate changes, has been included in the draft 10 year plan. The idea that businesses which benefit from tourists should foot the bill for costs related to them is nothing new but it has to be managed in a fair and balanced way, particularly when visitor numbers are not buoyant and businesses here are struggling financially. Will out-of-the-district car and campervan rental companies be charged for using the roads, in our district, will aircraft companies be charged for bring visitors in, and importantly, will residents here face increased costs to also enjoy the place we live?
Our council wanting to fine those 2 boys for “freedom camping” when they did the right thing and didn’t drive drunk is pathetic. Driving across those “dreaded” speed bumps this glorious autumn afternoon I thought just how well they were working. With the traffic slowed & lots of people crossing between the lake & shops the whole area was so user friendly. Drivers u r slower now anyway so is it in the 2 hard basket 2 give way 2 pedestrians on you Michelle and Jo, also your sons. Really cannot believe FOPP being so ridiculous re the preposed parking plan . It makes sense to tidy Brownston st parking around the sportsground If traffic speed is the issue around the CBD (!?) then erect and enforce 30k speed limit signs rather than turn Wanaka into a terrain park. The person opposing the naming of local criminals must be one. have a cry! people should be named and shamed, just like u do the crime u do the time. keep on the rightside of the law and u cant complain. What’s wrong with competition and affordable fast food? Can’t wait for mcd or bk to undercut expensive wanaka f&c shops.
Petty officials It shows you just how quick petty officials will abuse new laws, two boys after drinking to much sleep in their car rather than risk driving. Great, well done! Then a fine from a poorly thought through law which has no relationship with this situation. This almost comical situation is then made far more serious when a Mr Paul Wilson puts his official ten cents worth in. My comment is this, Mr Wilson is either a complete idiot or has no idea how dangerous young people driving drunk are! First get rid of the so called freedom camping law it was not thought through and very much rushed through parliament, second Mr. Wilson obviously should have nothing to do with community services. Ross price
Parkins bay development is the most significant loss to Wanaka’s outstanding landscapes. to me the most beautiful part of the drive back from aspiring national park. Come on every one get behind the Wanaka Skate Club and together we can finally get the skate park extension started. Whoop whoop. Re: mums would go to prison. I too received a 200 dollar fine for freedom camping on rippon night and i wasn’t even in my car!!! The true meaning of life is 2 plant trees, under whose shade U do not expect 2 sit. Should we not put the rowing club on the speed bumps, time to move on! now hasn’t the weather been lovely this year?;-) p Anyone else getting nuisance calls? “Goodbye”
The views expressed in the text board and in the Letters to the Editor are those of the author alone and not necessarily those of the Wanaka Sun.
TXT THE WANAKA SUN
021 986 786 Issue 551 Thursday April 05, 2012
circulation: 9,000 Free delivery to Wanaka, Wanaka surrounds and Cromwell urban and rural mailboxes, PO boxes in Makarora, Cromwell, Haast, Wanaka, Albert Town, Hawea. Distributed to motels, hotels and cafes plus businesses in the Wanaka central business district and to drop boxes in Wanaka, Queenstown, Arrowtown and Cromwell.
Phone: 03 443 5252 Fax: 03 443 5250 Text view: 021 986 786 Text classified: 022 0786 778 Address: Upstairs Spencer House, Wanaka Postal: PO Box 697, Wanaka Editorial manager: Ruth Bolger editor@thewanakasun.co.nz Journalists: Tim Brewster journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz Caroline Harker newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz Production: Adam Hall production@thewanakasun.co.nz Advertising: Amanda Hodge advertising@thewanakasun.co.nz Buffy Paterson marketing@thewanakasun.co.nz Rob Eggers sales@thewanakasun.co.nz Accounts: admin@thewanakasun.co.nz Printed by: Guardian Print, Ashburton Delivered by: Wanaka Rowing Club Published by: Wanaka Sun (2003) Ltd
Don’t go to prison
Irresponsible behaviour I am writing in response to the article “Mums would go to prison”, published in the Wanaka Sun on March 29, 2012, in particular the attitude demonstrated by QLDC’s general manager of community services Paul Wilson. Young people are often berated for making bad decisions however on this occasion it appears the boys in question acted in a mature and responsible fashion choosing not to drink and drive. Paul Wilson’s stance in enforcing the parking infringement notice they received rather than waiving the fee with a warning discourages these responsible decisions. Would Mr Wilson rather they drive their cars home whilst under the influence of alcohol? I’m sure he will say no but when the alternatives are either a $200 fine, or up to a $100 taxi fare home, what does he expect the next young person in a similar situation to do? That’s right; they will drive their cars and be the bloody idiot he appears to be. It concerns me that someone who by his very actions encourages this sort of socially irresponsible behaviour would be allowed to stay in a position of management in our community. Councils have the ability to waive infringements when they consider the explanation to be acceptable. That Mr Wilson has “no sympathy” in punishing the boys for making what most people I am sure would feel is the right decision shows not only bad judgment but in my opinion a real dose of pure arrogance. I’m curious, when our Mayor read this article in the Wanaka Sun, how did she feel about Paul Wilson’s stance on the matter? Does she feel it sends the right message to our community? Also, how do our local police feel about it? I trust you will find out for us.
After reading the article in the Wanaka Sun about two young men being issued a “ticket” for sleeping in a car they did not want to drive, given they had been drinking, I thought it must be 1st April. Sadly not, just QLDC in action. If the quote and attitude attributed to QLDC general manager community services is correct, then I despair. It shows a complete disconnection from life’s realities. Local authorities are established to serve the communities in which they operate, and they need to stay connected to their community. If the facts as reported are correct, any reasonable person considering the circumstances of this case would not treat it as “freedom camping”. To do so is a perversion of the intent and purpose of the relevant regulation. More importantly, there is a counter-balancing community concern over drinking and driving which should be taken into account. QLDC needs to get back in touch with the community it has been set up to serve, and look at all the circumstances. Its apparent position on this episode does it a disservice. An aspiration for QLDC in 2012 should be to humanise itself. And to the mothers of the young men concerned - don’t go to prison as you suggest. You will have received an infringement notice. Respond to it saying you will defend the matter, and let the District Court deal with it. Not only might you get a judge who may have some difficulty in finding an offence against the freedom camping regulations to be proven, but QLDC may also receive a deserved message from the judicial system in this case. You might even find a lawyer who will help you without charge, especially if you find one as incensed as I am with this apparent stupidity. I would do it myself if I was still practising instead of enjoying Wanaka lifestyle and activities despite what appears to be an over-bearing local authority.
Having read the proposals being mooted for a tourist tax in Wanaka I feel there needs to be considerable community discussion on this matter. We must be aware that it is the tourists that it appears this town wants to attract because of the revenue they bring with them so we must consider if a tax would be of a benefit or a discouragement. One of the proposals to levy sectors of the ratepayers with a “tourist” levy on their rates could well become a resident tax – not a tourist tax. Just because the ratepayer has been deemed to be a commercial ratepayer does not mean that they will be receiving a large proportion of tourist income. Many ratepayers have been rated as “semi commercial” because they are a B&B or work from home. To levy them with a flat “Tourist “ tax could well mean they are paying a tax regardless of whether they are generating tourist income or not. Let’s not just make this another income generating tax without really assessing how this would truly represent the best interests of the tourists and residents alike.
David Mackenzie
Terry Drayton
Thursday 05 April to Wednesday 11 April 2012
Alan McKay Wanaka
Tourist tax
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