Lines of communication to city council are open

IF ratepayers want to communicate with bureaucrats at the Dunedin City Council, they will not be put through as it is now the job of the staff on the switchboard to screen and deal with all calls. It appears to be the same with the mayor's office.

As a ratepayer paying all these staff members’ wages, I strongly object to this regime.

Time for a cleanout of both unelected and elected staff at the DCC who are hiding behind the very polite switchboard staff.

Alan Smith Kaikorai DCC chief executive officer, Dr Sue Bidrose replies:

Far from being a new ‘‘regime’’ as Mr Smith implies, the DCC’s customer services call centre has been in place for more than 20 years. These welltrained people are a knowledgeable first point of contact for the organisation. They deal with most inquiries at the first point of contact, handle requests for information and service across the wide breadth of the services the DCC provides, and manage a range of support functions. In addition, a log is made of all inquiries so that responses can be tracked later if needed. But if you ring and ask to speak with a specific person, the team will put you through if the person is available. In addition, the mayor and councillors’ phone numbers are available on the DCC website and in key DCC publications.

‘Blood match’

CONGRATULATIONS on Monday’s editorial (ODT, 29.6.20). It was splendid and timely. The term ‘‘blood match’’ is really out of place when referring to a game of rugby between two school First XVs. This phrase has just surfaced in recent years, perhaps from the Oamaru Mail. When I was a pupil at St Kevin’s in the 1940s it was unheard of. Nor when I taught at the college in the mid1960s and 1970s, nor when the college became coeducational in the 1980s and I coached the St Kevin’s First XV.

Perhaps more pertinent was that longtime reporter Terry O’Neill never referred to this interschool game as the ‘‘blood match’’. Perhaps a better term would be a ‘‘great tussle’’ or ‘‘gruelling contest’’. Let’s bury this unfortunate term ‘‘blood match’’ and not use it on this game.

G. Donaldson St Kilda

Cycle lanes

I AM in agreement with Mr Randle (Letters, 24.6.20) about Castle to Cumberland Sts.

Remove cycle lanes to other streets and remove road protrusions on both Castle and Cumberland Sts. This gives four lanes on both streets.

Even allowing for the rebuild to expand on to the roadway there would still be room for two traffic lanes both north and south. On both Castle and Cumberland Sts there should be no stopping for all vehicles within this area. St Andrew St between the two would be closed.

The cost would be a lot less compared to the $100 million that has been mentioned. That is an exorbitant amount of money which I’m sure the Dunedin City Council cannot afford. Think carefully about what you are doing.

Bev Diehl Waikouaiti

‘Dodgy’ names

LAST night we had dinner guests who brought to the table a selection of excellent wines, one of which was named ‘‘Fickle Mistress’’.

When I saw the label, it occurred to me that, after the craven surrender of the Dunedin City Council to some individuals who were offended by what they considered inappropriate names, this is one wine that will probably never see the light of day in Dunedin.

B. Thompson Weston

BIBLE READING: I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts. — Psalm 119:45.