Time for council to show some genuine empathy

I CAN understand how “trying” the past week has been for Sandy Graham, chief executive of the Dunedin City Council, so asking the people of Waikouaiti and Karitane to have ‘‘confidence in the council” she heads up (ODT, 6.2.21) must have been a further sign of the pressure she was under.

You cannot expect to have the confidence of the people you have let down as badly as has been the case here; the best you can hope to do is to earn it back.

To get that ball rolling, there should have been an unreserved apology, on day one, to all of the people of Karitane and Waikouaiti who are the only ones who can truly claim to understand what “trying” really means.

Next, the DCC should set up offices in both Waikouaiti and Karitane, where people can come to share their worries with qualified medical personnel. Just having someone to listen would help.

The free blood testing is a step in that direction but that move only came after the SDHB medical officer of health went on national radio to tell people they would have to pay for their own testing.

Empathy is what is needed right now — and so far that seems to be as absent as any meaningful analysis of exactly what these lead levels mean to the health of the people of Waikouaiti and Karitane.

Sir Ian Taylor

Dunedin

RECENT reports about the lead levels found in water have mentioned the Maximum Acceptable Value (MAV).

This figure represents the level of a substance below which there will be no significant risk to a consumer over a lifetime of exposure.

It is a lifetime risk, not an immediate risk to health.

A single exceedance of the MAV or a short exposure to higher levels does not mean that people have been put at significant risk.

The effects of prolonged regular exposure to lead usually take many years before symptoms and elevated blood levels become apparent.

Obviously, the reasons for the elevation must be found and removed — hence the public health actions.

Elevated blood levels of greater than 10 micrograms per 100 ml of blood are notifiable to the Medical Officer of Health.

In 2019, 84 notifications were from nonoccupational exposure and 120 were occupational exposures.

The rate has gradually declined since 2009.

John Holmes

St Leonards

I WAS under the impression that the ODT joke writer was Yeo, not the Dunedin City Council chief executive with the statement ‘‘Have confidence in the council” (ODT,

6.2.21).

This is a person on over $400,000 a year and who had a senior position with the DCC before the chief executive’s position and didn’t know what is going on with her staff.

The first words that Mayor

Hawkins and the chief executive should have uttered was an apology, not passing the blame.

Heads must — not should — roll, and the Government must make sure that the highly paid people are held accountable.

We have to remember we are talking about a poison.

Alan Shooter

Waldronville ..................................

BIBLE READING: In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. — Jonah 2:1.