Sort out the homegrown problems first

HILARY Calvert’s article (ODT, 26.7.18) comparing the salaries of councillors and nurses was an eyeopener.

The former, on $1000perweek salaries plus hefty ‘‘extras’’ for those chairing committees, are doing very nicely, thank you. But a reference to Mayor Dave Cull missing council meetings opened eyes even wider.

This year he missed all three infrastructure services meetings, four other subcommittee meetings and a council meeting.

Could it be that his Wellington role as head honcho of Local Government New Zealand is interfering with his mayoral responsibilities?

His extra $90,000 LGNZ job may offer some compensation, but not for Dunedin ratepayers. They would rather see him wrestle with homegrown problems. There are enough of these.

A standout is Dunedin’s State Highway 1 cycleway. It has earned the wrath of many.

Bernice Armstrong (ODT, 2.8.18) called it ‘‘a dog’s breakfast’’. As indeed it is. G. R. MacDonald

St Kilda

Central Otago airports

I SEE Queenstown Airport proposes spending megabucks to more than double its passenger handling capacity over the next 25 years.

Given the airport’s irremediable shortcomings, i.e. narrow approach paths, the vagaries of its alpine weather environment, and the airport’s increasingly builtup location, wouldn’t that money be better spent developing infrastructure at Wanaka, with the medium to longterm intent of sharing passenger flows between the two airports?

The likely outcomes would be better and safer passenger access to and from our district, and mitigation of Frankton’s already significant adverse environmental impacts.

Just another parochial point of view? Not so, I suggest — just plain, sound common sense.

Mike Horder

Wanaka