Dare to dream of Utopia right here in Dunedin
DUNEDIN city councillors are to be commended for holding a public meeting recently asking the question: What do we want our city to be like in 20 years’ time?
Utopia or happiness will be different for each of us. Twenty years ago, Dunedin (pensioners, employed, unemployed, sick or healthy, young or old) could enjoy daily the taste of pure butter, honey and water. Twenty years later, lots of pensioners and children cannot even experience the smell, much less the taste.
Will fairness be what you and I strive for along with economic reality? If so, we need to change direction now.
Elections are to be held later this year for both Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council. Let us now ask our representatives on these bodies to articulate changes they will vote into being to achieve a goal of a peoplefriendly, healthy Dunedin.
Rightly, many of us believe we must have cycleways for the nearly 20,000 residents in the most populated area, Otago Peninsula to Mosgiel. Will you vote to encourage young parents to allow their children to safely cycle to their local St Kilda and St Clair beaches?
Many of us understand that a bridge over the Otago harbour will attract tens of millions of dollars from tourists. This will generate funding towards the loans required to build those essential local cycleways for our children.
I entreat readers to overcome a subconscious underpinning fear of change and bravely vote for the happiness (utopia) of our children and adopt positive change that generates financially viable fairness for the whole Dunedin community.
Nigel Westbrook
Company Bay
[Abridged]
Remarkables plan
NZSKI is demonstrating a high degree of arrogance over the supposed delay on its latest development in the Remarkables Ski area. It should be a relief to anyone who cares about the environment that Doc is finally standing up to greedy developers and requiring them to follow correct procedures. Who knows, the answer to NZSki’s proposal might yet be ‘‘no’’. If it is, then it will have to accept that, and also consider that the current area which it has developed in the Rastus Burn might be the final amount available to it. NZSki’s chief executive, Paul Anderson, says ‘‘delays in the process were unconscionable’’ (ODT,
23.1.19).
We both put submissions against this proposed development, raising concerns about largescale earthworks and removal of indigenous vegetation, which we feel would be unconscionable acts of environmental vandalism. Lynley and Paul King
Te Anau
[Abridged]
[NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson replies:
‘‘The Remarkables Ski Area has the privilege of operating its activities in the stunning Rastus Burn Recreation Reserve. The purpose of a recreation reserve is to provide for physical welfare and enjoyment of the public and for protection of the natural environment and beauty. In providing facilities for more than 250,000 summer and winter visitors per year to this area, we must also protect the natural environment. You simply will not find anyone who cares more about this area than the group of passionate staff who work there. We take seriously our commitment to take care of this environment. The programmes we have in place such as predator control, weed eradication and native revegetation will enhance the habitat for native species to thrive. We believe that the Rastus Burn Recreation Reserve will be a better place for ecology and biodiversity as a result of the programmes we have in place.
We have carefully considered all feedback we have received and we hope that the submitters also take the time to consider and respect the views of others. We have invited a number of the people who have submitted in respect of this project to engage directly with us in the expectation that they may be able to enhance or become involved in our conservation work.’’]