Oil and gas move too soon

A renewable energy future for New Zealand is a necessary goal, but it is not clear how the Government’s recent decision to end future contracts for offshore oil and gas exploration will achieve this.

This policy is abrupt and counterproductive.

My role as a young (NZ) scientist working in the UK with next-generation solar energy materials has given me an insight into what future renewable technologies might look like and when they will be ready.

Renewable energy technologies are not yet affordable and efficient enough to replace fossil fuels completely, despite ongoing active research worldwide. In the coming decades the technological advances will be made, but we are not there yet.

New Zealand will be in the best position to adopt new technologies, and preferably even play a role in discovering and developing them, with a strong economy. Ending exportation of oil and gas doesn’t bring renewable technologies any closer; cutting off a strong revenue source now will only restrict our future options. We should stop exploring for, and exporting, oil and gas when we stop buying it ourselves.

I hope New Zealand can continue to be leading example of a green and sustainable country. This is best achieved by planning carefully for our future needs, by being open to all technologies, and not prematurely shutting down strategically important industries. Dr Hannah Stern, Trinity College, Cambridge, UK

Sell assets instead

Full marks to John Milford for suggesting that Wellington City Council sell its airport holding (May 4), rather than borrow the $500 million needed to fund the fixing of the Town Hall, the building of a convention centre, movie museum etc.

When Fran Wilde was mayor she was confronted with the need to borrow megabucks for the city sewage treatment plant and a new stadium. She instead sold council-owned commercial assets, including its electricity company. It worked well then and would work well now.

Milford’s advice to the council to pay off debt first is both prudent and wise. Alternatively, if the council wants to keep some holding in the airport long term, it could sell, say, half of the present 34 per cent holding and still reduce debt by around $240m, based on his figures.

This paper has also talked about a new (and expensive) indoor events arena, but could a better and less expensive facility be created by a roof on the stadium? Gordon Copeland, Miramar {abridged]

Manners missing

Sitting in our local restaurant, I am amazed at the ignorance and poor manners on display. The restaurant sits on busy Jackson St, Petone, and looks out on a zebra crossing. I am shocked by how many people use the crossing without acknowledging the drivers who have stopped. Surely good manners dictates at least a small wave to acknowledge thanks.

And even seated in the restaurant itself, especially now the nights are chilly, people enter the restaurant and give no thought to closing the door behind them. Am I old fashioned? Perhaps so, but I don’t feel shame in having a modicum of good manners. Stephen Owens, Wainuiomata [abridged]

Fair pricing needed

The introduction of GST on goods bought online will do little to help local retailers as the online price will still be lower after the tax is applied.

The move has been described as levelling the playing field and is about basic tax fairness, but it is the consumer who pays.

My European car required a spare part which was available through ‘‘main dealer only’’ at a cost of $370. I bought the part online from Europe and paid approximately $90, including delivery.

I would like to see the Government introduce a fair pricing policy that protects the consumer from the likes of ‘‘main dealer only’’ rip-off merchants, or does the Government think that, in the spirit of fairness, the European dealer should be forced to match the $370 price tag? One would certainly hope not. Bob Kirsopp, Raumati Beach

A double hit

Recently my car was hit from behind while I was on my way to work.

The other driver, working for a privately owned local courier company, had no car insurance. I, paying for full car insurance cover on my meagre healthcare wage; was then expected to pay $500 deductible to get my car back on the road.

I felt lucky that I had that money saved. Others might not. I was also furious that the irresponsible driver who hit me from behind was not legally expected to have basic vehicle insurance. Especially a business vehicle! I don’t understand why it is legal to drive a vehicle without basic insurance.

It is time New Zealand caught up with other Western countries and made it a law to have basic auto insurance. Ida Yassein, Lower Hutt

Oil firms in control

Many years ago in New Zealand, it was illegal, for very good reasons, for oil companies to own retail petrol outlets.

Oil companies have since used many tactics to gradually force out private operators, including abolishing the longheld practice of ‘‘fill to fill’’ billing . . . operators used to be allowed to have credit for their in-ground tanks of fuel and only pay when they were filled up again – a saving of, in some cases, $50,000 or more in working capital. The introduction of credit cards used to pay for fuel squeezed the profit margins even further.

Another common practice was to tell a private operator that his old tanks needed replacement, but it was too expensive to do this, so the company would no longer supply fuel.

The upshot has been that there are hardly any private operators left, the oil companies control both the wholesale and retail ends of the market, and can take their profits where they like.

It will be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to return this industry to a truly competitive situation. The oil companies are too powerful. Bruce Utting, Otaki [abridged]