Holiday road trip through silent forest Cost of quarantine
Like many other New Zealanders, we have just had an enjoyable road trip around New Zealand as our main summer holiday.
Two things stood out as we travelled up and down the beautiful West Coast.
Firstly, and sadly, there were very few tourists and it is clear this area has been hard hit by the lack of international travellers due to the Covid pandemic.
The second, and even more disturbing, observation was the lack of birds. We saw a total of two native birds on the trip up (Haast to Cape Foulwind) and about the same number coming back the other way from Arthur’s Pass. The forest seemed very silent.
Even more worrying was the total lack of keas anywhere, including at the Otira Viaduct lookout (Arthur’s Pass) where apparently birds are usually plentiful, as implied by the Department of Conservation signs exhorting travellers not to feed them.
A huge 1080 drop went ahead in this area in 2019 encompassing 900,000 hectares. Another drop is due in June this year.
1080 has been definitively proven to poison keas (peerreviewed research citations are available) and other native birds including tomtits and robins. Could there be a connection?
Fiona McQueen, MD FRACP, Glenorchy
Does anyone else have the same concerns as me regarding the cost of the quarantine to the New Zealand taxpayer?
It is costing us billions. That’s right, billions to give free quarantine to thousands of returning ‘‘Kiwis’’, many of whom have been overseas for years, earning the big money, who have not contributed to our tax system, and who will in many cases take off when the virus subsides.
I question the right of the Government to misuse our tax dollars like this when there are many more pressing needs, like the health system, on these monies.
Australia, a much richer country than us, requires returnees to pay for their own quarantine. Where is the mandate for us to be paying this huge ongoing bill?
I have yet to hear of a returnee who has thanked us for this largesse. All we hear is moans about their difficulties in getting back. I bet there would not be so many returnees if they had to pay.
I wonder, will Inland Revenue display such a generous attitude to us regarding out tax accounts? Trevor Wilkes, Invercargill