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Sick of space travel

Oh, wop diddle do. Nasa has found another universe. ‘‘It’s not a matter of if we find another like Earth, but a matter of when.’’

While the land of Trump are quick to trumpet the need to resolve our global issues like starvation, diseases and the difference between the haves and the have nots, they speak with a forked tongue.

The space agency has spent trillions of dollars to search space, and for what? A couple of wasted landings on the moon, a crash landing on Mars and a long view star gaze.

Those trillions of dollars over the ages could well have helped many of their own citizens and probably avoided the millions starving in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Yemen, as we speak.

There are a lot of jobs tied up with space exploration, so unlikely the Don will cancel the agency’s work. Nobby Clark Otatara

SouthRoads queries

As an interested spectator at the Southland District Council meeting on February 1, I would like to congratulate the three speakers who highlighted concerns on the council’s continued spending on the cycle trail.

I thought the speakers were very well researched, were very articulate and their arguments easy to follow.

Let us be in no doubt, the money does continue to bleed out as council’s Auckland lawyers are still sending out emails and letters. Every time council debate or discuss the cycle trail they are spending more money as well as time.

However, another issue came to notice at this meeting. What has happened to the money from the sale of the council’s late company, SouthRoads?

I got the distinct impression from comments at the meeting that the money from that sale was to form the basis of an emergency fund for any disaster that strikes the council’s area, flood, tempest or earthquake. My questions to the council are: 1. How much was SouthRoads sold for?

2. If the money is still intact, how much interest has it earned?

3. If the money is not intact where was it spent?

4. If the money has not been held for the purpose of rehabilitation after a disaster how can this council be entrusted with any ratepayer support? A Leitch Wyndham Abridged, editor

Southland District Council chief executive Steve Ruru replied: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this letter. The council sold its shareholding in Southland District Roading Ltd to HW Richardson Group Ltd for $10.2 million plus the change in shareholders’ funds between July 1, 1996, and December 31, 1996.

Money from the sale of SouthRoads has been combined with other surplus council funds. These funds are either invested with banks, or internally loaned. Interest received from these sources has varied over the years.

The council’s approach towards investing is risk averse and the aim is to protect funds rather than to earn substantial gains.

Going as far back as 1999, the balance of the SouthRoads Reserve (now called Strategic Assets Reserve) has been $10,595,964.25. Since July 2015, $2 million has been used to repay internal operational debt as part of the LTP decision process.

Additionally, the council has opted to use a portion of interest earned to reduce the roading rates required. Financial records since the year ended June 30, 2004, has shown $6,492,678 has been allocated to the roading activity from interest earned.

The council resolved as part of accepting the offer from HW Richardson to invest the proceeds initially and then as part of the annual and strategic planning processes going forward decide on how the funds will be used.

We cannot find a formal resolution by the council to confirm the funds from the sale of SouthRoads were to be retained for disaster relief.

However, the council has always been aware of the availability of these funds to be used for such purpose in the event of a significant disaster.