The ramp saga
I have worked as an economist most of my life so I am very used to looking at and using statistics. But I am also a great believer in using observation and common sense when examining statements from people that call themselves experts if their statements don’t reconcile with common sense.
Apparently the Transport Minister, Chris Bishop, has been told recently by NZTA officials that there had been ‘no significant change’ in the demand or need for an on-off ramp at the southern end of Cambridge since the Waikato Expressway Cambridge section design was finalised.
That date was 2013 – 12 years ago. You don’t have to be a traffic engineering expert to know that that statement cannot possibly be true. You only have to look at the data for the growth of Cambridge and its surrounds over that 12-year period and observe the amount of traffic, including large trucks, trying to get through Cambridge today compared with twelve years ago.
I can’t imagine what data the NZTA officials used to conclude that there has been ‘no significant change’ in the demand or need for this on-off ramp. The statement defies common sense and observation. When that happens, my experience has taught me to look again at the data being used.
Also, policy decisions like this shouldn’t only be decided by looking backwards. The NZTA officials and the transport minister should also consider what is likely to happen to the demand and need for this on-off ramp over the next few years. Given the strong growth predicted for the Cambridge area you don’t have to be a traffic engineer to know there is only one direction this demand and need can go – up.
Peter Nicholl
Cambridge
Letters to Editor. Photo: Pixabay
Māori wards
I grew up in Te Awamutu and moved to Cambridge at 12. Waipā has been home for most of my life. Cambridge was small back then. Yes, the cliques and the wealthy walked among us, and there was a snobbishness about who lived “over the bridge” (IYKYK – if you know you know), but in a fairly harmless way, because it still felt like a community.
When I look at the candidates for our upcoming local elections, I don’t see myself in most of the faces on the page. This isn’t shade on the candidates – they’re all putting themselves forward in service to our community. I’m simply stating a fact.
There are no Māori standing for mayor or general wards this election, just one for the community board and two for the endangered Māori ward seat. We need all three of their voices on this council. People sometimes say, “there’s nothing stopping Māori from running in the general wards,” but history shows otherwise. Māori candidates face systemic barriers and are almost always outvoted by the majority.
Māori wards exist to ensure Māori actually have a voice at the table, not just the right to try. This isn’t about “special treatment”; it’s about fair representation in a system that has never been a level playing field. Māori wards help guarantee the perspectives, priorities, and aspirations of tangata whenua – the people whose land we are all on – are heard where decisions are made.
Many who now live in Cambridge came as manuhiri (guests) to the district and/or to Aotearoa New Zealand. That should be recognised. At the same time, Cambridge’s Māori population falls well below the national average. Living here, I’m aware even my use of kupu Māori (Māori words) in this letter will trigger some people in this area, and that says a lot about why the Māori ward matters.
We need to keep Waipā Māori, the Māori ward. It’s a small step towards a council that truly represents all of Waipā. Instead of asking why Māori should have a place at the table, maybe the real question is: why wouldn’t we want that voice included?
Maria Low (Te Arawa)
Leamington
