The air, apparent

Yes, we have spent months learning about the coronavirus ( NZ Herald, July 1). We should acknowledge the experts who identified important correlations early on.

The pandemic was unpredictable; where was it going to break out next? Everyone was obsessed with politics; “social control” mitigation measures. But there is no correlation here with the extent of outbreaks; it is extreme confirmation bias to claim otherwise. The statistics are “all over the place” and you can cherrypick what you like.

This virus does not spread at a steady rate from individual to individual in the course of normal daily life, as computer modellers assume. It “explodes” in multiple infections, tens or even hundreds in single indoors environments.

The riskiness of those indoors environments, in turn, depends on ventilation. This is why cold winters correlated with the worst outbreaks (northern China, Europe, New York); then rainy seasons (Brazil); now very hot weather (southern US states). Venues where large numbers of people gather and get vocal (expelling and intaking viruses); shut off to the outdoors and recirculating air to save HVAC costs.

Policy should be targeted accordingly. Lockdowns “work” like carpet-bombing “works”; there is collateral damage, arguably unacceptable, including livelihoods, health itself, and mortality in the future.

Philip G Hayward, Naenae.

Sales costs

In challenging times, there can be a temptation to focus on cost-cutting, which is essentially unsustainable, instead of income generation.

I recently heard of a company that made its sales team redundant and, by doing so, compromised the income generation the business relied on for its existence.

All businesses exist to sell; creating wealth through sales of products, services or bundles of both. Simply cutting the highest cost of sales staff without considering their value is an extraordinarily short-term view and commercially naive.

The sales team is, or should be, welltrained, skilled and highly effective in identifying and negotiating to bring in new clients as well as retaining the key accounts/clients.

Overall, marketing is (or should be) strategically linked to achieving the income/profit objectives of the company.

Yes, sales is part of the broader marketing perspective. So, cutting marketing budgets and sales staff is just gob-smackingly dumb.

An alternative could be to move admin staff to part time and home based, where possible, and leasing out empty office space.

Managers must think beyond shortsighted cost-cutting which compromises the viability of their business.

Otherwise it’s “last one out, turn the lights off”.

Andrea Mullane, Muriwai Beach.

Testing arrivals

For New Zealanders wanting to return, or for that matter, other travellers wanting to come here, could we insist that they have two Covid-19 tests before being allowed to fly? One test at 14 days and one at three days prior to flight, with doctor’s certificates managed and authorised by the NZ High Commission/ Embassy.

Due to aircrew and airport staff interaction, they would still need quarantine on arrival but it would make us extra watertight.

We owe it to our Pacific neighbours who are Covid-19 free but don’t have the means to cope with an infection outbreak, to be an absolute backstop for them.

Aircrew seem to be a weak link but is it reasonable to insist on crew bubbles, which make a fortnightly roster with testing on their downtime?

We are nearly there and have done so well, learning as we go thanks to superb open and frank governance. May this New Zealand trend continue as more countries experience subsequent waves of infection. All eyes are on us.

Richard Kean, Ngongotaha.

Covid-free passes

To do away with quarantine requirements, what would be wrong with an internationally recognised negative test result certificate, good for a restricted period and after which subject to renewal? Cumbersome perhaps but if adopted by Australia and our Pacific neighbours, would get much needed tourism moving again. Airlines would need to be instructed, no certificate, no boarding pass.

Graham Astley, Epsom.

Revenue and debt

A clear example of Auckland Council’s cynical perversity is it’s manipulation of a key statutory debt financial control — the debt-to-revenue ratio.

This ratio was intended to place a ceiling on debt measured against council revenues. The council’s reaction has been to budget for recurring 3.5 per cent rates increases.

Rates increases will support even higher levels of debt — a perverse and cynical response, completely at odds with intended prudential debt management controls.

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Inequality matters

Murray Vereker-Bindon thinks that — unlike the US, with its Black Lives Matter demonstrations — we have something special here, having been peaceful for more than 150 years.

But in the same paper ( NZ Herald, June 30) it is reported that recent law changes round bail have had an outsized effect on Ma¯ori women. In 2013, 558 Ma¯ori women were remanded in custody. In 2019, there were 1194.

On average, Ma¯ori die seven years earlier than Pa¯keha¯. Studies show that Ma¯ori and Pacific people are less likely to be referred or accepted for medical treatment and in the system generally get less treatment than Pa¯keha¯.

There is certainly plenty of racial inequity here we all should be concerned about.

Danna Glendining, Taupo¯.

Regional fund

Has anyone else noticed that at all recent handovers of the Regional Development

Funds, Shane Jones has had Winston Peters tagging along?

This is blatant electioneering by NZ First. Nowhere is there anything that says this is from the Government and Jones does not promote this fact. Instead, he ensures his leader is there with him, knowing that people associate them with NZ First.

Jacinda Ardern needs to rein them in as they are starting to blatantly undercut the other two parties, Labour and the Greens. They have blocked numerous Labour bills and also those of the Green Party.

Peters has never been a team player, as was shown during the coalitions when he has been dumped. If Labour get in next time and can rule alone, the first thing she should do is take control of the development fund, or even let the Greens distribute it.

Tom O’Toole, Taumarunui.

Persistent rainfall

Thank you, Alistair Sloane ( NZ Herald, July 1). How can any city or town in New Zealand not have enough water?

New Zealand has an abundance of it falling from the sky each year, in Auckland’s case 1200mm. That’s 1200mm over every square metre of land. Perhaps a mathematician can enlighten us how much water that is; greater Auckland covers many square kilometres. I think it could be many trillions of litres making its way to the sea.

Come on Auckland, and other cities, water engineers: Get smart. The ancient Romans knew how to catch it and move it round to where they wanted it.

Don Hoult, Tauranga.

Price of water

Waikato River Authority chief executive Bob Penter is advocating that Auckland pay 10c a litre for water drawn from the Waikato River as a good starting point for negotiation purposes.

Such a suggestion, based on 200 million litres of water per day, translates into a cost of $20 million per day or $7.3 billion per annum.

Putting aside that 10 cents per litre is consistent with what Labour proposed in 2017 as a value that could be attributable to consumptive water, it appears Penter has not run the numbers to do the maths. Otherwise surely, he could not believe 10 cents is a reasonable starting point.

To put things into perspective, currently Watercare charges Aucklanders 0.001594 cents a litre for water, or $1.59 per 1000 litres.

Paul Hale, Flat Bush.