Time for a new plan to address vacant buildings

I TOTALLY agree with Carolyn Richardson (Letters, 28.12.20) that the state of vacant commercial buildings in Dunedin is a disgrace and an indictment on their owners.

But she — and the DCC — are wrong when they say nothing can be done.

The council already offers rates discounts to property owners in cases such as the renovation of historic buildings. It could easily offer one to those who make a full contribution to the city with fully tenanted buildings.

The DCC already raises rates as required, and could raise commercial rates across the board to balance the books. Those building owners who make a full contribution to the city would effectively have a small rates decrease while those who fail to utilise their buildings to the full would face a serious cost for doing so.

Not only would this be a major incentive for property owners to bring their buildings up to lettable standard but it would lower the exorbitant rents currently charged in this city.

A fully tenanted George St would provide a bigger boost to the city and businesses than any juggling of parking, pedestrians and cars could ever do.

Affordable rents would provide a huge boost to small business in Dunedin, and the decaying eyesores that exist in parts of this city would vanish overnight.

Clearly, there would have to be allowance for renovations and time for finding new tenants. Equally, the tenancies would have to be real businesses with real leases in place.

We should remember that, of all property, commercial buildings are the most dependent on their neighbours for their value. Property owners who fail to maintain their property and, worse, leave it empty are simply freeloading on their neighbours and running down the whole city in their greed for capital gain.

Tony Williams

Dunedin

Mosgiel Pool

WE were disappointed to see the coverage of the announcement of the Mosgiel Pool proceeding (ODT, 19.12.20) after all these years of waiting for a new facility.

The photograph and brief story was an insult and a kick in the guts for all those involved in years of fundraising and heartache trying to get this project under way.

Compared to the fanfare and headlines of the Moana Pool proposed upgrade, most readers would have expected some detail of what the facility will consist of and some local commentary surely.

Diana and Doug Jackson

Mosgiel

[We have given extensive coverage to the Mosgiel Pool plan in recent years in both the ODT and our sister paper, The Star. Confirmation of the pool’s location was covered seven months ago. The recent story was not an announcement the pool would proceed but the reveal of which company had won the contract. — Ed.]

Covid plan

HAVING read and digested (with difficulty) the article about a ‘‘Covid plan B’’ (ODT, 26.12.20), I am moved to question the rationale and motivation for outrageous and clearly unsubstantiated claims.

While I fully support Dr Sundborn’s stance regarding the dangers of sugar, I have to say the claptrap he his cohorts recently put their names to makes me seriously question that group’s suitability as educators.

The Kiwi ‘‘go hard’’ approach provides incontrovertible proof of successful containment practices that, for some inexplicable reason, they choose to question while presumably still enjoying personal freedoms those ‘‘restrictive’’ practices haveprovided.

Our freedom, economy and rationale is the envy of the world. Chris Knight

Dunedin

[Abridged] ...................................

BIBLE READING: The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. — Psalms 36.7.