‘Unwise projects’ reflect poorly on city council

HILARY Calvert hit the nail on the head when she wrote about councillors not listening to the Dunedin people regarding the CBD, George St plans, parking and reckless spending (Opinion, 26.12.20).

It is hard to believe that nine of the 15 councillors voted in to lead our city regularly push through unwise and unnecessary expensive transport, and other, projects.

The present plans for George St are absolutely ridiculous. If these go ahead, Dunedin will have an area of closed businesses, empty shops and buildings.

Many of the plans and projects prepared by expensive consultants and planners and already foisted upon us are obviously a waste of time and money.

We have freedom campers in the central city, coloured spots on the road, dangerous protrusions near closed schools, concrete obstacle courses on SH1, road humps everywhere, yellow lines drawn in unnecessary places, a recent pedestrian crossing placed in the path of possible runaway trucks near the Botanic Garden, cars still crossing SH1 as drivers travel to the north end, and unsightly weedy plants in primitive wooden pens.

What’s next? One wasted project after another and now we have been told that these same people are preparing a 10year plan.

Probably more bike and skateboard lanes, and fewer parks, are the priority.

Already, several car parks have been removed in the city. Could it be that as many as 500 have been removed since the SH1 cycle track was planned? Surely someone working in transport planning must know the exact number.

The ODT must continue to regularly report how each councillor votes, or has voted, on important issues.

Readers will soon be able to sort out the six wise councillors who usually vote against unwise projects. These councillors appear to understand how a city should flourish and grow and readers will know how to vote at the next local body election.

Councillors have an important duty to sort out basic infrastructure and support local business people and residents rather than wasting time and money supporting unpopular projects.

Bernice Armstrong

North East Valley

KIiwiRail

KIWIRAIL chief operating officer Todd Moyle, in response to concerns about stretched freight services, states: ‘‘We have more rolling stock on order, however these are long lead time items which are bespoke to KiwiRail’s needs. Further wagons will be delivered late in 2021 but additional locomotives are two years away.’’

Why are these freight wagons not being built at the rejuvenated Hillside works?

R. Gardner

Waverley

Covid19

I CANNOT understand why we are letting people into New Zealand.

The country did so well, and so did the authorities, during lockdown, and now we are letting people in from all over the world, who sadly are bringing Covid , and the new strain, back to this country.

While these folks may be New Zealanders, a lot of them haven’t lived here for years, but now need to come back, no matter what.

The Government closed our borders in 2020. Noone should be coming in, if the definition of closed is still what it was when I was at school.

The Government would also save a lot of money not needing isolation facilities, and New Zealanders could move around freely and support tourism and help put the country back on its feet. I am sure I am not the only one in this country feeling like this. Lyn Meinders

Normanby ...................................

BIBLE READING: Your faith has saved you; go in peace. — Luke 7:50.