Fonterra needs help and taking down a peg or two
SHANE Jones’ opinion on Fonterra’s behaviour is quite right. It is now too big for its boots.
Fonterra encouraged farmers to change from sheep farming to dairy at great costs, then gave them a huge premium on milk solids first time up.
Once established, they then held them to ransom with lower dividends, not to mention the pollution to lakes, rivers, streams etc. Now, Mycoplasma bovis is here.
Fonterra has pushed the prices on New Zealand shelves for dairy products to ridiculous heights, then paid its bosses ridiculous salaries, along with paying out huge sums to overseas conglomerates when mistakes are made.
Fonterra needs guidance. It has become a runaway train heading for a collision which could take a lot of New Zealand with it if we are not careful.
G. Palmer West Harbour
Hobson’s choice
THE conversation about Governor Hobson’s words at Waitangi is interesting and informative.
There has been a group, of mostly gentlemen, who would like to hold all of us to the saying, ‘‘he iwi tahi tatou’’. A fine idea and ideal, but hardly credible in the numerous and continuous breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Hone Heke corrected Hobson with the addition of the syllable ‘‘ko’’. ‘‘He iwi kotahi tatou’’. Now that more and more people are getting their heads round te reo Maori, it appears that the difference is subtle, but significant.
Hobson’s choice was really an invitation to assimilation and the power of a growing majority.
My grandfather, a native of Great Britain, learned his first words of English while serving on the Somme. His language and culture had led him to the onerous task of breaking rocks to help roof the empire.
As Henry and Edward Williams penned the Treaty, I always felt that their Welsh heritage steered the pen.
Today, nobody would question the right of anyone to retain their language and culture, along with English. So why bend the pen towards the past, and towards the words of one person, Governor Hobson? David George
Cromwell
Cromwell bike track
I HAVE not read the feasibility study report, but it seems to me this track will be little used.
How can a track along the south side of Lake Dunstan be justified — considering the ease to build along the north side?
I doubt if the average biker who cycles the rail trail will be able to negotiate a Cromwell Gorge track.
Yes, there are old (built during the Clyde Dam construction) fourwheeldrive roads along the south side of the lake and repairing these for the track will cost less than building a new track.
But there will be many large elevation changes and bridges along the track, meaning bikers will have to be very fit.
I ask, what economic benefit will the few bikers able to use the track add to the Central Otago economy?
Surely, there are many better projects which the Government and Lakes Trust can put money into — the Roxburgh child centre for example? Richard Flanagan
Clyde
Hospital plans
IT’S great news we will have a brand new hospital in our beautiful small city.
It will take time to complete but we are now on our way.
With a big construction like this it is unavoidable some businesses have to move on.
But it is good for others
And great for us to have a stateoftheart hospital. Noeline Speight
Brockville ....................................
BIBLE READING: My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. — 2 Corinthians 12:9.