My Account
Grammar gripe
I support the campaign encouraging us to do our shopping locally (MM August 16) despite the slogan “Shop Local.” “Shop” is, in this case, a verb and should be modified by an adverb. “Local” is an adjective, which should be used to modify a noun. The correct modifier is “locally”. We are encouraged in the correct use of te reo Maori and rightly so. Surely the English language should be accorded the same courtesy? “Shop Locally” when you buy a book on English grammar.
John Northcott, Warkworth
Toilet troubles
A couple of days ago I had occasion to use the “reconditioned” toilets adjacent to the Council offices in Warkworth. On entering one stall, I found that there was no paper, and the bowl was full to nearly overflowing. On moving into the second stall, I noticed that the concrete floor appears to have been laid with a slope from the stall to the back of the cubicle, making a perfect place for water to pool after the cleaners hose or mop out the area. This pool extended toward the front of the cubicle and meant my shoes were sitting in water. First impressions were that the recent lengthy, and no doubt costly, overhaul was a distinct improvement on what was there before. However, I believe that an inspection by a Council officer with an order to the contractors to make good their errors would be an even better move.
James Ramage, Warkworth
Dodgy bureaucrats
Penny Webster (MM August 2) berates our current Councillor, Greg Sayers, for saying that it is easier to get a building consent in Thames than in Auckland City. She uses the excuse that all the new building codes and health and safety legislation is the cause. But she misses the point that in Auckland City there are so many unnecessary bureaucrats in the system, who all need to have their own input to justify their jobs. Everything takes longer and costs more.
Peter Georgetti, Warkworth
Honourable intentions
In response to Jacob Le Car (MM July 19). I write to express my total confidence in the ability, skill and dedication of Peter Thompson. If it were not for the fact of Peter’s voluntary involvement over very many years in the beautification and provision of facilities in Warkworth, where would we be today? In recent years we have certainly seen a deterioration of the Mahurangi River, both in sediment control and the ecology. For some time now, Peter has been determined to proceed with a dredging project, and to that end he has built a tug boat and barge to serve that purpose. Yes, it may seem like a commercial enterprise, but what Peter is actually doing is undertaking work that will subsidise the task ahead. I, along with numerous locals, can assure the writer that Peter Thompson only wants what is best for Warkworth.
Dave Parker, Chairman, Jane Gifford Restoration Trust Steering Committee (abridged)
MSG for NAG
The Mahurangi Support Group (MSG) has joined the fray between Auckland Council and several parties, which they believe have been poorly served by it. Five parties have joined together to form the MSG. Its goals align with that of NAG (Northern Action Group) which is already making strides in bringing the Council to book over perceived abuses of the law, as well as fighting for the re-creation of an independent Rodney County. Making their own rules and then bending them seems to be a common complaint against Council, voiced by parties involved in issues such as West Hoe, the proposed link between SH1 and Matakana Road and the development in East Mahurangi. It is reported that about 500 cases are now pending in the High Court, which points to a failure to resolve issues early. The recent report “Big rate hike if Rodney leaves Auckland” (MM August 2) presents a fait accompli, without revealing who commissioned the report and whether it is fair and unbiased. The MSG believes our locality is an area where residents’ legal protections are being eroded on a wide scale.
John Wells, Mahurangi East (abridged)
