Ban cars at weekends

I’ve enjoyed walking the trails on Mt Victoria/Matairangi for as long as I’ve lived in Wellington. And the walking conditions under level 4 were fantastic, with fine days, not much wind and hardly any cars on the roads.

Since there are at least three routes that cars and buses can use to get to the summit, maybe on the weekends one of those routes could be closed to vehicles, and dedicated to walkers, cyclists and especially people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Alexandra Rd would be the ideal choice. After the entrance to the SPCA buildings, there are no more driveways or intersections, all the way to the summit. Making that route car-free on weekends would open up the mountain to everyone, safely.

Graeme Tuckett, Te Aro

Beware zooming piglets

Three generations of our family were poised at 5pm on Saturday with drinks in hand to celebrate – Covid-style - grandson Will’s entry into teenager-hood.

His family in Ohakune, the rest of us in Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Paeka¯ ka¯ riki. The Zoom meeting was carefully coached for those of us in our 80s by the younger generations. We – the 80s generation – were ready, drinks poured, dinner prepared, lighting arranged. I even put on a touch of perfume.

At 5pm nothing happened. No signal. No welcome. I panicked. ‘‘What have I done wrong?’’ I texted to tech-savvy daughter Lynn. ‘‘Just wait, Mum.’’

Ten anxious minutes later the answer was texted by the birthday boy. ‘‘Newly arrived piglet has escaped. We are all out searching paddock. Zoom meeting cancelled.’’

An hour later as dark fell, the meeting was held. Piglet, alas still missing. Will keep you posted.

Jenny Pattrick, Wellington

Notions of leadership

Your use of ‘‘U-turn’’ and ‘‘backdown’’ in a report about Victoria University’s suspension of the accommodation charge (Vic does U-turn on empty room fee, April 2) relies on a flawed notion of leadership.

A leader who listens and responds accordingly shows respect for public opinion. Your coverage reflects a failure to consider the position of public institutions systematically underfunded by the previous government’s policy.

That policy damaged universities where humanities, languages, the arts, and culture are valued. Funding these

subjects below their actual cost, Steven Joyce forced them to pursue an internationalisation strategy coupled with competition from private providers.

Victoria is now dealing with the consequences of that policy.

The National Library shows a similar pattern of underfunding. This has resulted in the catastrophic decision to dispose of more than 600,000 books and periodicals described as ‘‘depreciated’’ because they were published 20 or more years ago. This language of accountancy fails to appreciate the value of knowledge.

An Orwellian term like ‘‘rehoming’’ disguises a policy of disposal. This impoverished language is a symptom of the damage done to language, thought, and culture by a previous government’s insistence that the value of education should be judged by income rather than by what it contributes to New Zealand society.

Dolores Janiewski, Highbury

Tirade at courier driver

Re The difference between walkers and workers (April 1), I’m flabbergasted at the audacity of the woman that Melanie Sharma-Barrow described having a tirade at the courier driver!

What I’d like to know is if Melanie said anything to this woman? I don’t blame her if she didn’t as many of us don’t like confrontation, but these situations always remind me of Martin Niemoller’s speech, abridged here: ‘‘First they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew . .. Then they came for the trade unionists. And I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no-one left to speak out for me.’’

I hope that I’ll always have the courage and tenacity to continue to speak up for people’s rights.

Rayward Chung, Broadmeadows

The RMA’s principles

This Government has done well in suppressing Covid-19, and now Cabinet has approved a proposal from Environment Minister David Parker to fast-track large, ‘‘shovel-ready’’ projects. It aims to revive the economy smashed by a lockdown that may have been too harsh.

Large, new roading projects are among Parker’s long wish-list to benefit from fast-track consenting. If this is the minister assigned to protect our environment, who needs a minister of development?

Labour’s vision enunciated in its manifesto states the RMA is ‘‘the cornerstone of New Zealand’s environmental management’’. It states: ‘‘All things are interconnected, and we are kaitiaki of land, sea, freshwater and air. Labour rejects the notion of ‘balancing’ the economy and the environment, an equation in which the environment always loses. There are environmental bottom lines that must not be crossed. Labour will uphold high environmental standards.’’

Pre-election, Labour environment spokesperson Megan Woods stated: ‘‘Cornerstone legislation such as the RMA should never be changed without genuine consultation with all the parties in Parliament.

‘‘A bottom line for Labour is that we will not support the gutting of the fundamental principles of the RMA – this is the tool for protecting ordinary people’s enjoyment of their property and their environment.’’

So much for promises.

Simon Louisson, Seatoun

Choppy waters indeed

Choppy waters (May 2) is a fitting headline for your report about Fish & Game’s internal conflict. The organisation has had conflicting roles since it was formed in 1990. This has resulted in varied perceptions of its work.

Who could not support its powerful advocacy for reducing pollution in our thousands of rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands?

On the other hand it continues to raise brown trout and rainbow trout for release into those water bodies. These introduced species prey upon our native fish species, several of which are poised on the brink of extinction. Trout are the aquatic equivalents of feral deer, goats and pigs in our mountain ranges.

J Chris Horne, Northland

Rugby and life-saving

Mark Reason ( NZR should choose lives, May 3) was spot on in identifying the importance of club rugby to the health of our national game.

New Zealand Rugby in basically a cooperative that is rapidly losing its way through monolithic and eye-watering salaries. The clubs are forgotten in the rush to the top.

NZ Rugby is ruled from above. It wasn’t so long ago that the NZR board was sacked by way of a no-confidence vote by the unions for losing the co-hosting rights to the World Cup. Clubs through their provincial boards have the ability to ‘‘oversee’’ the actions of the NZR board.

There is another sport that is a world champion, has its best athletes working overseas and still represents NZ but with the clubs essentially still in charge – surf lifesaving. Its community contribution is huge and special.

Can rugby learn from lifesaving?

Joe Pope, Wellington

Resource consents change

While the idea of a law change to ease obtaining resource consent in an excellent idea (Public voice silenced for sake of economy, May 4), it must not be used on projects that are known to have no chance of receiving approval in the normal process.

Using Covid-19 to push through deeply divisive actions is the type of behaviour we see happening in Hong Kong and other places where democratic ideals do not exist.

Such behaviour cannot be allowed to happen here.

Jenny Gigg, Titahi Bay