Errors could have been revealed
On the eve of an announcement further damaging South Hagley as a natural parkland, it is time to critically examine the portentous claims of the original judicial panel regarding the fate of Hagley cricket oval.
Their conclusion was a professional sports arena near Christchurch Hospital would unite Cantabrians and speed recovery from the earthquakes. Wrong – their judgment has driven a wedge between Cantabrians and therefore hindered progress.
They also placed complete faith in the financial prowess of New Zealand Cricket to promote the sport, the province, and New Zealand itself. Wrong – NZC can’t even look after the financial interests of its own members; a company which can’t produce a profit invariably calls on the public purse for assistance.
As for the silly claim TV revenues and commercial interest from millions of Indian fans would be a gold mine, with no Indian players or companies resident here, this is the daftest claim of all. All of these errors would have been revealed if the judge and the two ECan commissioners had undertaken purposeful cross-examination of witnesses.
This did not occur at the original Hagley Oval hearings which I attended. Simon Rolleston, Bromley
Essential lighting
Come on, let’s join together Cantabrians. Be positive!
Let the powers that be install the essential permanent lighting in our beautiful Hagley Oval. Bring it in line with our other New Zealand venues so we too will be able to host national and international day/night matches and reap the benefits for all to enjoy. Let us move forward. Let the games begin.
Jean Nelson, Upper Riccarton
Hagley Oval
One needs look no further than the Hagley Oval commercial stadium to see how Christchurch City Council staff resist transparency and impose their own preferences on the ratepayers.
From start to finish, the stadium concept breaches ethics, regulations and law. At the beginning, the Earthquake Recovery Act never allowed for the commercial cricket stadium to be a major recovery project. The latest submission by council staff to Regenerate Christchurch of course does not reflect any ratepayer opposition to the latest council subsidy to commercial cricket that exploits Hagley Park, once upon a time protected by the Reserves Act (now ignored). Now hear this great council staff, Halswell Quarry is where the wonderful stadium should be. Doug Hitchon, Mahana
Hold councils to account
Recent controversy in the media over the Christchurch, Westland, and Nelson councils raises the question why are we continuing to pay the salaries of the Ombudsman’s staff if he has no real power to address the problems?
And why are the taxpayers continuing to pay the salaries of the Audit Office when the Auditor-General usually refuses to deal with the complaints brought to that office? Why is there a Minister for Local Government when that office ignores complaints like the recent ones from Nelson about that council declaring a climate emergency and only inviting groups that would be sympathetic to the idea, while the public was not notified of the meeting until four days later? The issues in local government can only be addressed if there is a willingness to do so. The Office of the Attorney-General should be thanked for investigating the actions by staff in Christchurch. It is about time offending councils around the country were held to account.
Dan McGuire, Nelson
Councillors’ influence
John Burn states (Nov 16) that when he was a Councillor back in the eighties they controlled the staff. Really? Back in the 80s, before amalgamation, we had Town and County Clerks and City and County engineers who ran the show. I have firsthand experience as a County Engineer. Admittedly there were a few councillors of Mr Burns’ persuasion who would like to have thought they ran the show but they were in most cases illinformed as to the institution of civil engineering and the mechanisms of local government in general.
Red Sapwell, Ilam
Refugee concern
Your passionate column on Behrouz Boochani, ‘‘We should beg him to stay, and learn from him’’, appeared on the morning of November 15. By the evening Immigration New Zealand had made it clear it wouldn’t even extend his monthlong visitor’s visa. The statement came after Mr Boochani lambasted the Australian Government and Labor Party for their hypocrisy and patronising words. Both the political left and right are complicit in these exclusionary policies.
New Zealand’s Labour-Greens have missed no opportunity to milk free international publicity by associating with Mr Boochani. But their concern for refugees is questionable. In the early 2000s the Helen Clark Government hogged international headlines by taking 150 Tampa refugees, conveniently counted towards the dismal 750 annual quota. This annual number barely rose until very recently and has always lagged behind Australia on a per capita basis. After forming the Government Labour-Greens made no special effort to scrap restrictions on African and Middle Eastern refugees. But they changed the policy after the Christchurch attacks.
Why must New Zealand show generosity towards immigrants and refugees only when their plight is covered by international media? Let’s borrow some wisdom from the Bible: ‘‘Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them ... So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.’’
Dr Rajiv Thind, Brisbane/Upper Riccarton
Name-calling
Intergenerational name-calling is as unacceptable as racial and religious name-calling. Generations, races and religions are all expressions of human diversity. While we are busy squabbling, we are taking our eye off the ball. The ball is our planet. Our co-inhabitants of the planet are dying off at a startling rate. The place is burning under our feet.
Instead of bickering, we should be highlighting the efforts here in Christchurch to create an ecologically sustainable and compassionate city. In my area alone, there is Richmond Avebury Community Garden, Shirley Village Project and Delta Community Trust; all generations working together. Let’s celebrate that.
Mary Tingey, Richmond
5G precautions
Many cities around the world are adopting the precautionary principle to evaluate the safety for humans and insects regarding the new 5G technology. However Christchurch City Council apparently has no idea about this, how many new 5G towers are to go up in the city, nor where they are to be stationed. Nor does it know how many trees will be cut down to allow this intrusive technology to make profits for private companies.
On making an inquiry to the council, aside from links to Health Ministry websites, the only information the council has to offer to reassure residents of the safety of 5G is a Vodafone Fact sheet.
Bronwen Summers, Christchurch
Pompous prince
Prince Andrew has appeared on British television to say that he thinks hanging out with a convicted paedophile was not the right thing for a royal to do. Someone needs to tell him hanging out with a convicted paedophile is not the right thing for anyone to do.
It’s no wonder some people criticise members of the royal family for being pompous and out of touch.
Raymond Shepherd, Strowan