Whoever the twit is that thinks Tauranga CBD is worth investing in needs to get out of their flash car and walk along Devonport Road and count the empty shops.

Currently, Tauranga CBD is in its death throws.

Hopefully, when the Farmers building opens, things will pick up.

It shouldn't, however, be up to a private company putting up a large building to attract visitors to the CBD; it's the councillors and those councillors allowing themselves to be pushed around by paid staff.

If a company behaved the way the Tauranga City Council do/did they would possibly end up in jail or most certainly be fired as the receivers came in, which they would the state the council's financial matters are currently in.

Who suggested and authorised the purchase of the two houses in Cameron Road, the pulling down of those houses and the establishment of a park/playground which, so far, I have never seen anyone in? We are short of housing in New Zealand and Tauranga, not parks or playgrounds.

You just don't carry out such activities when you are $800 million in debt – well, not in the real world.

Alastair Bourne (abridged), Bethlehem.