Central rescue copter base saves lives
I was dismayed to read Monday's article regarding the current location of the Rescue Helicopters base at Kensington, and the call by some residents for it to be moved.
In 2013 I suffered a heart attack at 8am on a Tuesday morning, an ambulance was called and I was advised by St Johns officers/ paramedic that I was in need of hospital intervention. It was also decided that I required immediate transfer to Auckland. A journey during rush hour directly to the Emergency Helicopter base was the only option. I am so thankful that the helicopter base was centrally located, was ready and waiting to transfer me to Auckland. By 9.30am we had landed at Auckland City Hospital and at 9.40am I was in theatre.
Had it not been for the central location of our helicopter service, the outcome for me would have been very different. To look beyond the outskirts of our city for a new base fills me with concern. As for Marsden Point, I would never had made it, and nor would other critically ill patients. Time is of the essence.
I live on the flight path of our rescue helicopters and there has
never been a time that I haven't thought about the life saving missions they are on. I don't care what time of day or night their flights are, they saved my life and I am so very very thankful.
I have one question though, when did the complainants purchase their properties, over 33 years ago?
S Young Kamo
Help from on high
We ran this letter on Saturday but the photo (above) missed out:
I'd like to do a massive shout out to Tupu youth environmental programme through Te Ha Oranga. I'm part of a small group of volunteers in Onerahi working at eradicating moth plant. We were stuck at not being able to get some out-of-reach pods when youth from Te Ha Oranga stopped and asked if we needed some help. Taynin offered to climb up the trees and hook the high ones.
We collected 1.5 bags of pods ready to burst! Wendy Giffin
Whanga¯rei
Blame for climate change
This is the first time I have felt compelled to write.
I was quite incensed this evening watching a climate change story with the student protest (good on them!). What riled me was once again the narrative from the reporter was that farming was a major cause. This is a very broad generalisation.
One of the major problems is the intensive, industrialised farming practices carried out by corporations. I am not a farmer and I have a young teenager that I want to inherit a healthy world but I am tired of our innovative, hardworking farmers of wearing the blame when there are many more sources of pollution including, failing infrastructure in some of our biggest cities.
Debbie Tisdall
Whanga¯rei
Make vaccine in NZ
Covid -19 tracking web site (Our world in data ) informs us that of the world's population 5.39 of every 100 people have received at least one covid vaccination.
In comparison, New Zealand has 1.87 per 100 people with one
vaccination (Australia's rate is 4.23 ).
New Zealand has the ability to manufacture its own vaccine under licence as Australia is doing. Manufacturing our own vaccine would not only enable us and possibly our South Pacific neighbours to be kept a lot safer a lot earlier, but also play our part on the world stage. That the Government has not the foresight to gain a licence is clearly a sign of its ineptitude.
Brian Mclachan
Onerahi