Making waves in Shelly Bay

Peter Jackson and to a lesser extent Fran Walsh have, because of their celebrity status and considerable wealth, far too much sway on whether Shelly Bay should or should not be developed.

Their latest attempt to hijack this development was when they sent a letter to incoming council chief executive Barbara McKerrow asking that she confirm by tomorrow that the matter is revisited.

But this is for the mayor and his councillors to consider at their leisure. (Sir Peter v the council, Feb 25).

In the unlikely event the Jacksons stonewall and demand another vote, the long-running stoush will revert to the position when Justin Lester was the Wellington mayor. So are we back to square one?

Brian Collins, Petone

Shelly Bay is a jewel of the Wellington landscape, and a historic piece of harbour land precious to the whole city.

As well as a strong association with local iwi, whose village Maru-Kai-Kuru was sited there, it was also from 1887 to 1995 used for military purposes. Each one of its buildings deserves preservation and reuse.

Thank heavens, Peter Jackson and so many others are fighting to save it while the council flails meekly under pressure from Ian Cassels and his Wellington Company.

This wonderful site should never be used to line the pockets of property developers.

It should become the heart of a beautiful heritage and harbour park. This is an opportunity that will never come again.

Mary Varnham, Seatoun

Wicked stepsister?

Your Tuesday cartoon was a crude depiction of National deputy leader Paula Bennett as a witch riding on a broomstick; and it’s just as well that the name ‘‘Bennett’’ was scrawled across the figure’s backside because otherwise I would not have recognised who it was supposed to be.

It’s funny how certain powerful women are shown as witches, and others as angels, isn’t it?

Calling Paula Bennett a witch. Not very kindly, is it? Whatever would Jacinda say? I suppose it’s a reference to the charge that Bennett and National are

leading against our PM in their efforts to get some kind of transparency for voters around the NZ First Foundation loans saga.

Well, if Bennett is not successful, I’ve no doubt the Serious Fraud Office will be.

The most open and transparent government in New Zealand’s history? Talk about fairy stories.

I propose a cartoon showing Ardern as a wicked stepsister. On the basis of the child poverty statistics released on Tuesday, I feel that, like Cinderella’s glass slipper, it would be a most perfect fit. Raymond Shepherd, Christchurch

Stop it at the border

How to stop the coronavirus from spreading to New Zealand? This is the most important question.

A virus that kills 2.5 per cent of those who get infected. This may seem a small amount, but if a million Kiwis were to be infected, that would be 25,000 deaths.

Sadly the virus is spreading outside of China and time is not on our side. It is time to take the response to a higher level.

Containing the virus within China is not working, we now need to implement more travel restrictions on people coming into New Zealand.

The Government needs to suspend all international students from travelling to New Zealand unless they have gone through a process of isolation to safeguard them and others.

As the world becomes more interconnected, as travel becomes the norm rather than the exception, systems need to be set up to manage the health risks and stop a virus from spreading across the world.

The Government must protect its citizens above all else. The loss of exports, the loss of tourists, is better than the loss of life.

We need to have clear and strong leadership. No exceptions, no grey area.

The needs of the many outweigh those of the few. A robust screening system that can identify those with the virus before they arrive is the minimum.

Brent Pierson, Kingston

Racist complaint

I wish to express my objection to the letter you published (Feb 25) from John Bishop, where he criticised the noise of the Indian cricket supporters.

The tone of his letter, where he so strongly challenged the noise of the supporters, smacks to me of blatant racism.

Henry Smith, Maungaraki

Upper Hutt roads

The next big development in Upper Hutt will bring with it further traffic congestion in what is fast becoming an overloaded roading system.

Whilst it is good that once well-utilised areas, before past government decisions laid them to waste, are to be again of use, Upper Hutt suffers from a distinct lack of north/south arterial routes (unlike Lower Hutt), and the existing single road (Fergusson Drive) is getting to the stage of saturation, certainly during the everincreasing peak times.

With many hundreds of new houses being built in the area, all of which will generate a huge increase in vehicular traffic, not to mention the increase in ‘‘rat runners’’ from further north attempting to avoid River Road, the local council needs to be asked just what planning it may have in mind to alleviate the problem?

One thing it most certainly does show up is the lack of foresight in not initially constructing the River Road (SH2) as a four-lane expressway.

Wayne Kitching, Upper Hutt

Dodgy donations

Donations to political parties or candidates are needed to fund elections campaigns and the party back-office functions.

But it is a recipe for corruption as it is essentially allowing rich supporters to influence politicians. And the current controls to make donations transparent clearly do not work.

A possible simple solution could be to make it law that all donations go via a centrally controlled fund/account that ensures each donation to any political party and politician is above board.

Anyone should be able to see what goes in and out, to make it totally transparent. Ron Beernink, Petone

Beyond a joke

Dave Armstrong’s column (Echoes of Bustastrophe in wastewater woes, Feb 18) on our ‘‘tsunami of faeces’’ is spot on – though the scale of this debacle defies even his comedic talents to make light of it.

There will no doubt be talk of ‘‘systemic failure’’ and how ‘‘no one person can be held responsible’’.

Already, as the faeces hit the fan, they’re racing for cover with the contracting-out model providing the perfect umbrella against the poop pelting down.

I also question whether the extreme intensification being pursued in such locations as the former Erskine College development can be sustained, given the under-maintained system.

Crowding more crap into existing pipes isn’t working and makes a mockery of the marine reserve.

In High St, Island Bay, 17 townhouses are being built on a single site with developers and council giving residents short-shrift – water pressure is barely above the minimum now and there are documented problems with the infrastructure.

I don’t believe the council has adequately safeguarded the tip and its bulging cargo against leaching and further polluting Owhiro Bay.

I’ll treat any assurances given by them, or whoever they have passed the buck to, to run it, with total cynicism.

The southern suburbs are – once again – being treated like turds.

Ian Logan, Island Bay