E-scooters part of solution not problem
E-scooter users are having a rough time from the media and politicians alike. I’m sticking up for them. From where I stand, in Northcote, a suburb on the verge of major redevelopments, e-scooters look to me to be part of the solution, not a menace. I see people of diverse age ranges scootering between the town centre hubs of Northcote and Takapuna, to the Sunday markets,
Residency choices
Immigration Minister Iain LeesGalloway seems a reasonable man who keeps no record of wrongs, who believes in second chances. He appears to consider the merits of a case instead of following a tired, wornout recipe. This is why he decided to grant residency to Karel Sroubek, isn’t it? If Sroubek was deemed worthy, surely the minister would grant my son residency? I’m sure that, compared to Sroubek, my son’s kidney disease wouldn’t cause a glitch on the minister’s judgment radar. Who is more entitled to residency?
A. Jansen van Rensburg, Albany.
Port space needed
I write in response to Simon Wilson’s opinion piece on Ports of Auckland’s proposed new car handling building. I note that in 2016 Mr Wilson himself suggested we “put a parking building on the wharf ” (15 Dec, 2016) and he was not alone. Auckland Council’s Port Future Study (July 2016) suggested the same thing, for the very good reason that creating more port space by going up is much better than reclamation.
And more port space is needed. A new stadium and port closure will not happen tomorrow, these projects will take years. Meanwhile, Auckland is growing rapidly. The car handling building and other port master plan projects are needed so that we can keep Auckland supplied with the things people need. We’ll make sure what we build looks good and opens up more waterfront to the public: the car building will include a public rooftop park and will allow Captain smiling and having fun, replacing a short car trip, or connecting to public transport. I see young people hanging out in scooter groups socialising together. It’s great to see them enjoying their freedom outdoors.
When I was that age, it was the era of peak boy racer culture. “Socialising” with a vehicle meant clogging up Queen St in a soupedup Cook wharf to be used for cruise ships. And then later, the port will move. Mr Wilson’s key thesis seems to be that the car handling building will scupper the proposed waterfront stadium. It won’t. The stadium’s proposed location is at the north of Bledisloe wharf and half in the water. The car handling building and hotel are at the other end, where the stadium promoters are proposing to put multi-storey buildings. The car building could be modified to fit their plan or demolished, and the hotel could stay. It will be useful near a stadium.
Tony Gibson, CEO, Ports of Auckland
Build rentals
Matthew Hooton is spot on in his criticism of Minister Twyford’s KiwiBuild scheme. By helping the better-off middle class into new homes at taxpayer expense, Twyford is just supporting the maintenance of excessively high house prices. The Government should be building as many state rentals as possible to house firstly the homeless and then those paying high, taxpayersubsidised rents to landlords.
Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene.
Re-sale advantage
As far as I can discover, the rules are that very lucky new owners cannot sell a KiwiBuild home for three years, yet someone who pays full market price for a house is restricted to the now five-year bright-line test. The buyer of a taxpayer-subsidised house can make a much quicker buck. Dorothy McHattie, Mairangi Bay. Subaru. As things change, and more and more people shift away from cars, we need better transport and city mobility options. Yes, we need wider footpaths and more street space for walkers, cyclists and those using lowpowered vehicles. Yes, we do need people to ride e-scooters with care and obey the road user rules. Good manners can take care of the rest.
Waterfront stadium
Dick Hubbard was one of Auckland’s best recent mayors because he understood the critical importance of urban design for Auckland’s prosperity. But his advocacy of “distinctive architecture” in the form of a submerged stadium is way off the mark. What is so distinctive about digging a huge pit in the seabed?
A waterfront stadium is worth exploring. But it has to be properly sited — in the middle of Bledisloe Wharf, not on its edge. Secondly, the design brief must elicit an extraordinary bundle of innovation in function, structure and formal expression.
Dushko Bogunovich, School of Architecture and Planning, Auckland University.
No help for girls
Additional funding of $180 million for more refugees, no problem. Residence for criminals, no problem. Funding to assist in buying sanitary products for our own young girls who need the help, no go. Then our politicians proudly celebrate the week of the woman with photo ops and speeches. How disappointing.
Pim Venecourt, Torbay.
Between the lines
People with severe hearing difficulties must welcome the PM’s use of a signlanguage expert. Her audience would swell massively if she also provided an interpreter for the read-between-thelines phenomenon she introduced in the Sroubek affair.
David Williams, Glendowie.