Lots of noise but is there really a major problem?

I WOULD like to express my concern about an article (ODT, 29.4.21) where landlords Wayne and Billee Marsh have expressed their view about how irresponsible it is for Dunedin City Council to allow a live music venue.

Many people, me included, come to that venue. It is viewed by many as one of the best live music venues in this city.

Many music acts were born there in the last few years and hundreds of people from as far as Invercargill, Wanaka and Timaru visit to hear live music.

This type of article is particularly concerning as it sets a precedent for people to come to the papers and damage the reputation of venues that have worked so hard, especially during this tough Covid19 time, to keep afloat.

This is a huge risk to my business, as the owner of the Dunedin institution that Ombrellos represents in hospitality.

I do not accept how one person complaining (constantly) about noise would have the power to make this damaging statement and convince your good papers to publish it.

I would like to encourage you to look at what the rest of the neighbourhood think about the venue and also about them and see what they would have to say about the landlords’ complaints, as I am aware that some people want to live in that area to have easy and safe access to venues like Dog with Two Tails, Pequeno, The Craic, Macs Brew bar, Dunedin Social Club, Fringe and so on.

I would like to also invite you to talk to their customers both at daytime as well as evening so that you can see the full picture of what is going on.

[Abridged]

Ed Lobo

Dunedin

DENNIS Horne’s obsession, ‘‘We need to electrify transportation and industry’’ as the planet’s saviour (Letters, 30.4.21), doesn’t take into account the environmental and human disasters that will be left in its wake in achieving his dream.

There are two major elements required for electrification and transportation, copper and cobalt.

It is predicted that the demand for copper over the next 30 years will be greater than copper mined by mankind up to the present time. It is also predicted that the demand for cobalt for vehicle batteries will require a 9000% increase for the millions of electric vehicles coming off the production lines.

Both these elements will require mining and manufacturing resources with an increase in CO2, on a scale never seen before in human history.

The human disasters will be seen in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where child slavery is rampant in the mining of cobalt.

Mr Horne’s support to flood Lake Onslow in the South Island for storage when the demand for electricity is coming from the North Island, from places like Howick, doesn’t make sense, when the North Island has an abundance of valleys closer to the needs, that could be dammed to meet the North’s requirements.

Brian Miller

East Taieri