It’s not right to get rid of port
How can spending billions to build road and rail infrastructure to unload goods from ships in Whanga¯rei and then move the goods to Auckland possibly make better economic sense?
It needs to be recognised that Auckland is a working city as well as being a place to live. No working, no living.
London ranks third in the UK, in terms of number of containers, after the ports of Southampton and Felixstowe.
Melbourne is the largest port for containerised and general cargo in Australia. Sydney’s Port Botany is one of Australia’s largest container ports.
Show me a major coastal city in the world with a harbour that does not have a major port.
Auckland needs a working port to function effectively.
Rail in New Zealand hasn’t been economically viable since the combustion engine became readily available and yet some people persist with the delusion that somehow rail freight will make a comeback. What has happened to common sense? Steven Bryce, Pakuranga.
School zones
Here we go again, arguing about school zones ( NZ Herald, November 13). Parents should be able to send their children to the school of their choice.
For Chris Hipkins to say that children do better at “richer” schools is a disgrace. Some of the best teachers work in lowdecile schools.
The reason children are perceived to do better in richer areas could be that parents in those areas value education more and assist their children to not only have high attendance rates but a positive approach to learning.
All teachers try to bring the best out of their students. Katherine Swift, Kohimarama.
Suicide link
I remember being taught at school that statistics was the science of misusing maths to prove relationships. A good example is the attempt to argue that, because the number of suicides has increased in those countries in which voluntary euthanasia is lawful, it was the cause of that increase ( NZ Herald, November 12).
There is a range of reasons for suicide including health, family and social pressure, stress and cyberbullying to mention but a few and each of these affects different ages to a greater or lesser extent. I doubt that those considering suicide for any of the above reasons seriously decides whether to go ahead or not on whether to do so would be legal or illegal. Surely it would be better if our lawmakers and those concerned with our mental health analysed the factors that influence suicide and take action to alleviate or remove those influences rather than fall back on using the law to tell the many what to do. Gerald Payman, Mt Albert.
Evidence-based
David Seymour answers whether making it legal for people to seek help in easing out of this world increases suicide. His answer quotes the outcome of Parliament’s 2016 Select Committee, which, having evaluated the research, produced “a resounding no”.
Belief is what it is, and that is reinforced by registered nurse Dion Howard’s admission that what he calls evidence is in fact anecdotal. That’s another term for “opinion”. Seymour quotes what has actually happened elsewhere in the world, while Dion quotes his own opinion. I know which one gets my respect.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Debating chamber
It was interesting to view the Parliament voting chamber on TV. The debate was over the right to end your life, and I doubt if there was 12 politicians in attendance.
How can members make a decision on such an important matter if they do not hear the speakers debate on the subject?
They obviously have made up their minds, and don’t believe they need to hear anybody else’s point of view.
Bob Wichman, Botany.
Beauty denied
“Beauty is truth” wrote Keats.
I am deeply saddened by the removal of many beautiful trees and shrubs across our urban landscapes. Not only are avian and other life systems being destroyed; gone are the vision and craft remains of gardeners and botanists. Gone too will be the psychological uplift that so many folk are given as seasons change.
Every week, I mourn the removal of a row of flowering cherries which, until recently, lined an entry to Salisbury Park in Herne Bay.
My guess is that those holding the policy reins have not had their eyes opened to botanical splendour, nor do they realise how much its absence affects daily life. Juliet Leigh, Pt Chevalier.
Life’s a beech
I am privileged to own one of the most stunning exotic trees in Auckland. It is a giant copper beech reputed to be in excess of 130 years old. There is nothing more beautiful than to experience the start of spring each year as the bare branches turn, in a matter of days, into rich redbrown foliage, there to remain for six months. Most native trees tend to be slowgrowing and a very bland variety of green. There is room for all.
The Tu¯puna Maunga Authority needs to learn that diplomacy and compromise will ensure that it takes the wider community with it. Even worse, it is ratepayers’ money being used to further its ideologies on Mt Albert and elsewhere.
When faceless bureaucrats operate in such a dogmatic manner, they may eventually win the battle, but will be widely despised for doing so. Denis Drumm, Mt Albert.
Super single
As a married couple, we have enjoyed our double superannuation for years. We can live fairly comfortably on that. We can pay our bills on time and replace worn out appliances (sometimes) and eat. Our budget doesn’t stretch far enough to go to restaurants or have holidays, watch Netflix, get new curtains and furniture, buy the clothes we really want or pamper myself at the beauty salon.
Soon, I may face having to cut our fortnightly payments in half, if my husband goes into care. I’ll still need to pay the same rates, house insurance, telephone account, electricity etc on a single person’s superannuation.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat healthy food, or turn the lights on at night.
I definitely won’t be able to replace worn out electrical goods, so I’ll be scrubbing clothes with a brush and Sunlight soap, drinking Coca-Cola instead of coffee, washing dishes by hand, hanging clothes on the line, and getting fish and chips or salads because my stove is out of order. Well, it could happen, couldn’t it? Ailsa Martin-Buss, Glen Innes.
Sky’s the limit
As someone who has lived in many cities around the world and used overhead transport systems, I applaud the article on Sky Cabs ( NZ Herald, November 11). They are low-cost to build and operate, quiet, electric-powered, very efficient, aesthetically pleasing and use modern technology, including some of Kiwi invention.
Their use in Auckland would see a dramatic reduction in transport woes and they could be used for transport to the airport along the proposed light rail route without causing major reduction in road width. If hung under the harbour bridge, they would provide a much needed alternative way of travelling from the North Shore to the CBD. The possibilities are endless and it amazes me that this form of transport is not at the forefront of transport planning. Rick Aitken, Tauranga.
Green consequence
Eric Strickett ( NZ Herald, November 14) is quite right that controlled burn-offs in the cool season, every year, is a preventative of massive forest blazes fuelled by the build-up of material on the forest floor. Mr Strickett should also have mentioned that this was common practice in Australia until neo-pagan Greenies with far too much power, insisted that this was mankind unnaturally tampering with nature. The same goes for clearing “breaks” of sufficient size around housing.
All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing. Good men are remaining silent about the facts because they fear the consequences for themselves, of opposing the evil. The progressive, feminist icon Germaine Greer puts many to shame, in having the courage to repeatedly speak out about this, incurring the shunning and slanders that freezes even the majority of centreright politicians in their tracks. Shame on them. Phil Hayward, Lower Hutt.