New rabbitvirus variant may hold key for NZ Airbnb pros and cons

I THANK Pete Jenkins of Galloway for his letter (ODT, 21.5.18), even if he called me David and not Donald.

I too, along with other people, have seen a decline in rabbits over recent months on some of our country roads. I put this down to the original RHDV1 virus the farmers put out nearly 21 years ago which is still working.

Unfortunately, the rabbit population has built up high immunity to this virus, up to 80% in some areas. This is the reason New Zealand must try to get a new strain to take out the resistant rabbit population.

It looked as though we were going to get a new strain, RHDV1K5, a year ago, but MPI in Wellington delayed it until March this year and now we find it has not worked anywhere in Otago and Canterbury.

Australian rabbit researchers have found a new variant of the virus which they are calling RHDV2 and have released it in the Alice Springs area.

From the reports I have read, this is the virus strain we require here to have a chance to control rabbits without having to revert to the use of 1080 poison. Donald Young

Cromwell marketing effort is nothing short of insulting to all the hardworking Airbnb hosts in the city.

I invite Mr Cull to come and view our house and see firsthand the huge effort we put into promoting our beautiful city to our guests. We are definitely ‘‘doing our bit’’ for the city marketing effort, Mr Cull.

Hotel/motel operators should focus their energy on adapting and evolving with the market rather than enlisting local government to stifle the increased competition by introducing an unwieldy and draconian tax regime. Chris Sullivan

Mornington

IN response to the article in Saturday’s ODT, I would like to point out a few facts to Airbnb operators who, for some reason, consider they are paying their fair share of the rates burden on Dunedin residents.

Although I live alone and am a superannuitant, I pay the same rates as a household of innumerable people.

If there are six people living in a house, they use six times as much water, six times as much rubbish and six times everything else my rates bill covers. Yet, being only one person, I have to pay the same amount.

The more guests that are being accommodated in an Airbnb, the more cost is incurred in the services rates provided, but no extra payment is made to the city council. Instead it goes into operators’ pockets and they are rubbing their hands with glee.

Commercial operators have to pay higher rates for these services to accommodate their guests, why shouldn’t Airbnb operators? The answer comes down to greed.

My rates will increase by 8% this year and I have no way of recouping that cost (my pension will not rise by anything like that percentage). But Airbnb operators just increase their prices and they are home and dry.

Do the decent thing and don’t expect your business to be subsidised by other ratepayers. D. M. Davey

Dunedin