Parking-free apartments to be lauded

I was disappointed with your story on New Zealand’s first 10 home-star rated building, Ockham’s “Daisy”. It was turned into a negative story about competition for public kerbside space. Local businesses who are concerned about competition for car parks is 20th century thinking. The road-space is publicly funded, and for the public, not for a business or an individual to rely on.

Good on Mark Todd and Ockham for creating such a sustainable and innovative building. Those could have been 33 tenants living with one to two cars each, but instead they are living with two Cityhop car share cars. That’s cars off the road and space created, not less space for neighbours. Ben Carter, Auckland Central. nearly all harbour views from around the Viaduct Basin for at least a decade. This is what people should be up in arms about, not the size of the wharf extensions.

If in doubt, please go down there now while the Volvo Ocean Race bases are still erected and see for yourself. And note that the America’s Cup base buildings will be at least three times taller than the current temporary buildings.

Russell Baillie, Mt Eden. For some years I was on the board of trustees of a school with the hope of improving it like, I presume, any parent who makes the time to do the same. Some board members literally never said anything for years except “aye”. Among other things, such as building projects and school safety, we were responsible for choosing principals. I felt it was a huge amount of power in the hands of a few who often knew but a little.

In particular, I was deeply disheartened by life-changing decisions around children being “excluded” (expelled). Whereas some schools have inspirational principals and teachers with incredible skills to address bad behaviour, others don’t. Many exclusions were done to “make a point to the community that we were tough”. Yeah, and then the kids go and commit crimes because they’re not at school. The whole thing was depressing and we basically got paid nothing either, to do important school governance. There has to be a better way.

Name and address withheld by request. bridge strengthening are accounted for, that figure needs to be multiplied by about eight. Strengthening of the Harbour Bridge will dwarf the claimed $40m budget for the whole project, if such strengthening can ever be achieved.

SkyPath’s projected patronage of about one million visitors a year is about that of the Viaduct promenades. SkyPath’s patronage projections plainly represent optimism on steroids. Since cyclists will account for only about 4 per cent of SkyPath’s patronage even at its peak, approved usage would result in merely one cyclist every 6.52 minutes on AT’s two dedicated cycle pathways at Northcote Point. One dedicated pathway could and should have halved AT’s disruptive extravagance.

Safety was also mentioned. If AT’s designs are not safe, they won’t be used. Half of the cycle paths feeding SkyPath on Northcote Point are “protected” from vehicular traffic by a white line on the road. Meanwhile, AT has confirmed that cyclists clobbered by cars doing 50km/h have an 80 per cent chance of such accidents being fatal. Who would willingly send their family into that minefield?

Kevin Clarke, Northcote Point. Your correspondent Geoff Levick is wrong to say there is no viable option to synthetic fibres. Besides wool and cotton, both better for our health and the environment because they’re natural and biodegradable, there are mohair, silk, hemp, flax, jute, cashmere and ramie. Easily grown hemp and flax fibres are wonderfully strong and durable and can be waterproofed.

The problem with synthetic fibres is they’re mostly made from oil and break down into nonbiodegradable micro parts which are dangerously polluting our waterways, oceans and landfills. A natural fibre degrades naturally, a synthetic only breaks down into smaller and smaller parts, all toxic to our health and the planet.

It may interest Mr Levick to know I never buy clothing made with synthetic fibres. I have hemp trousers you wouldn’t know weren’t cotton. I have waterproof cotton jackets. I also walk on wool carpet and wear cotton/wool hats. You can easily have a wardrobe of non-synthetic clothes.

Jeff Hayward, Auckland Central.