Options are greatness, mediocrity

As the originator of the sunken waterfront stadium concept, I want to address some of your editorial writers and correspondents’ opposition to it, not as a consortium member but as a simple citizen of this city.

Firstly to address the primary concerns, that rising sea levels render the idea unworkable: The stadium would sit well above projected sea-level rises for the next 100-plus years, and in effect it would be at the same or slightly higher level than a large swathe of the CBD, with the Britomart Transport Terminal actually below current high-tide sea levels. So if we consider the stadium a non-starter for this reason we may as well write off most of downtown Auckland, and if the critics were consistent they should be lobbying for its relocation.

That the stadium represents more harbour infill: While the project would involve some infill it would occupy no more harbour than is covered by the existing wharf footprint, currently the country’s largest second-hand car park. The tsunami risk is largely eliminated by Rangitoto, the gulf islands and Great Barrier, and the visual barrier is mitigated by a see-through light roof structure rather than a full-blown above-ground box.

That the stadium would negate a later bigger, bolder vision for the Port: Depending on your life expectancy, the proposal would dovetail perfectly into possible future port transformations such as already mooted for the container terminal.

What is harder to quantify is criticism deeply rooted in the Kiwi psyche. Our DIY culture that says “I could have made one of those — but better”, no matter how clever the original idea.

Brian Rudman is a prime example, who’s had the time and platform to do so but to date hasn’t really come up with one. Or a recent post by Chris Darby who suggested they could come up with something bolder and better at a Labour Party weekend “soiree”. Or darker still, the tendency to cut tall poppies, characterising the consortium as rich-boy “dreamers”, not the serious, talented and courageous individuals I know them to be.

Auckland is on the cusp of greatness or mediocrity as a city. A place of audacity and outside-the-square creativity, or the provincial sub-branch city of mediocre compromises and timidity it may become.

A lot of feedback, thankfully, has been enthusiastically positive, a sign the Auckland spirit of daring, fun and imagination is alive and kicking.

I’m with them, wish you were too.

Phil O’Reilly, Auckland Central.

Political donations

On the issue of electoral finance reform to address the problems of anonymous and foreign donations, there is also (another) inherent unfairness in the present system. The parties that align with business interests, I am guessing, attract considerably bigger donations than parties representing other sectors such as low-paid workers and the public services. An equality of voter numbers does not at all translate into equality of donation dollars. Couldn’t we be funding election campaigns from the public purse, with proportional, restrictive advertising budgets and using public radio and TV for debates? Elections should be a contest of ideas and policies, not of size [amount] of financial support.

B. Darragh, Auckland Central.

Catastrophic weather

Your correspondent Dushko Bogunovich is wrong to think that there are currently increasing catastrophic weather events due to climate change. Since 2015, at least 18 peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published indicating the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have either been reduced or no detectable trend is indicated for recent decades. This directly contradicts the unsubstantiated claim that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will worsen due to rising CO2 concentrations.

Scientists have found that more frequent instances of unstable and intense weather occurred during cool periods such as the Little Ice Age (approximately 1300 to 1900 AD). Warmer periods such as the Medieval Climate Anomaly (approximately 1900 to 1200 AD) and the 20th/21st centuries were associated with a reduction of extreme weather events.

To understand this warmer-climates-stabilise-weather conclusion readers may wish to search for the scientific paper Laliberte et al, 2015, published in the journal Science. David Gibbs, Beach Haven.

Helping businesses

It has been reported that the Minister of Finance has asked the Tax Working Group to look at ways of reducing compliance costs for small and medium businesses.

The most time-consuming and complex activities of a small business relate to the responsibilities, statutory obligations and risks of employing staff. Compliance responsibilities in this area seem to increase with every session of Parliament.

Small and medium businesses need support and encouragement, but, rather than a lower tax rate on profit, a simpler and better-targeted form of assistance would be to allow a deduction of 10 per cent commission from the payment to the Government of Paye deductions, up to a monthly limit. Whereas a lower tax rate for SMEs would also apply to propertyowning and shelf companies, a 10 per cent discount on Paye deductions would direct support to those companies that incur the costs and obligations of providing employment, an activity, moreover, that provides the Government with further taxation opportunities from the consequential wage payments.

John Strevens, Remuera.

Planning sense

Auckland’s planners can never be accused of being pragmatic. Monster cruise ships tied up to mooring dolphins sticking out from the end of Queen’s Wharf overlooking an underwater stadium proposed for close by, beneath Bledisloe Wharf.

And when the hordes of tourists (or locals) want to depart from these follies at the edge of our beautiful Waitemata Harbour, they are offered transport on a tram meandering along on a convoluted course over traffic-congested roads from the CBD to the airport. How is any of this sensible planning when better alternatives are screaming out for attention?

Coralie van Camp, Remuera.

Men are better drivers?

They are according to an AA insurance survey but who did they ask? Men! This survey only tells me women are more honest than men. I have driven in more than 30 countries, been driven in another 40 and in my opinion New Zealand drivers are among the worst in the world. In this country I’ve noticed very few women running red lights, ignoring stop signs, speeding and serious tail-gating to name a few of the more prevalent offences.

Successive governments ignore the ever mounting road toll and apparently accept this as reasonable. If they were serious they’d support the police and get the current road rules enforced. They could also increase the penalties for offending to something which is really a penalty in line with the practice in the UK, Australia and the US and get rid of the court’s seemingly endless supply of wet bus tickets.

The only reason they don’t is their acceptance of the status quo with its huge cost, both in dollars and social terms as they are afraid to offend some of their voters.

If there was ever an issue on which all parties should get together surely this is it. Rod Lyons, Muriwai.

Refugee loopholes

The plan of the Labour-led Government to allow in 150 refugees from Australia, although commendable on its own from a humanitarian point of view, raises the question of their ultimate destination into Australia.

Although the refugees may never be allowed to migrate to Australia it does not prevent the 15 associated persons of each refugee applying to do so in the future in their name.

There is also the question of these new immigrants in the future changing their names by deed poll and applying for a new New Zealand passport in that name, then applying to move to Australia, whose authorities would find it impossible to know the real origin or name of the previous refugee or associated persons.

With these possibilities it’s no wonder that the Australian Government does not wish to co-operate with the New Zealand Government.

If this loophole becomes known to the boat-people organisers, it will be a massive gravy train to all those queue jumpers who have the money to do so.

Ross Harvey, Auckland.