More firm information needed about airports
THE discussion of whether a new airport is needed in OtagoSouthland, and where it is to be located, lacks maturity.
The projections of tourism growth this discussion is based on are highly speculative and lack sound backup.
Furthermore, too much hope is put into Tourism New Zealand’s marketing ploys to attract tourists with questionable empathy for this country, but high demands for infrastructure New Zealand does not have.
There is an urgent need for building a sustainable alternative to the huge environmental footprint tourists have, especially the shortstay markets TNZ attracts, and major industry players increasingly rely on.
These and other issues such as how flows can be managed to disperse through the country do not yet feature sufficiently in a comprehensive discussion for future development.
We need to slow down tourists, not speed up their movements. Lessons learned from the recent past have not been heeded by hotheaded civic and corporate leaders fresh through the revolving doors every couple of years.
The greenfield airport has been suggested before for Lumsden but dropped because of halfhearted research and local resistance.
This airport is projected to serve five million tourists to the country. To justify its contemplation, serious discussion about the activities they are to share in, and the routes they take, are needed, along with the education and involvement of the wider public.
It requires advice from truly informed and independent bodies, including our universities, not some corporate accountants.
Juergen Gnoth
Waitati
Courtney Duncan
FOR many years, Palmerston in Otago has suffered the frustration and inconvenience of misdirected mail being forwarded to Palmerston North and viceversa.
A name change for the southern town would solve the problem but such a move has found little support in the past.
Now, however, the perfect opportunity to make an acceptable change has eventuated.
What could now be more appropriate than applying to officially rename Palmerston ‘‘Courtney Ville’’? Colin Campbell
Fairfield
Bladder scanner
CONGRATULATIONS on the great initiative taken by prostate cancer patient Steve Hall in organising external funding for a bladder scanner at Dunedin Hospital’s oncology outpatients department (ODT, 14.9.19).
Mr Hall noticed during his radiation therapy that lack of a bladder scanner on site meant valuable time was wasted with radiation delivery machines, by not being able to check the state of a person’s bladder at the beginning of their session with a quick scan. Patient flow was delayed and disrupted, no doubt stressing both patients and staff.
A catchphrase for our health system at present seems to be ‘‘patientcentred care’’ and Mr Hall has been able to deliver when the system apparently has not. Brilliant!
Kirsten Simonsen
Andersons Bay