Dismal state of roads should be priority
It is my view that the lowering of the speed limits on 14 stretches of state highways in Northland will do very little, if anything at all, to lower the death rate on our roads.
I have no objection to the lowering of the speed limits around schools, kindergarten etc to make it safer for children.
The condition of the roads is the problem, we have road repairs being carried out all over the north, but the repairs seem to be substandard, and within weeks if not days, the roads are as bad as ever, with the tarseal either peeling off or full of potholes.
The continual roadworks, and lower of speed limits, have made many motorists frustrated, and they are more likely to take risks.
The journey from Whangārei to the Auckland Harbour Bridge outside of peak times used to be able to be done safely in about two and a quarter hours, now you need to allow three because you don't know what you are going to come across. Robert Brown
Northland
Bewildering failures
I read the letters last Friday, in particular the letter by Kevin Grose. I am sad that he is bewildered but sympathise after reading his letter as he has explained his bewilderment and I hope he recovers. Kevin says he listened to our MP Shane Reti on TV, who correctly said the things that would improve health would be education, employment and housing. Kevin then harangues the previous government of neglect in these areas and then he tries to say since 2017 under Labour everything is now rosy.
His maths is correct when explaining minimum wages, but he omits that in this time his government has printed money like Santa Claus and inflation has trebled. Rents are at an all-time high and food is fast getting to the point where an average family struggles to put food on the table. A kilo block of cheese previously $7 is $11 and sometimes, now only 900g at that. A leg of lamb at $50 will probably not grace the table of lowincome earners and so these prices eat up the inflationary increased 5 bucks an hour.
Kevin sings songs of praise on Labour’s private housing numbers, well, we all remember Twyford’s “promise” of 10,000 houses. Kevin, they have not built those, but have bought all the houses that traditionally would have been first-home buyers’ entry into the “Kiwi own your own home” tradition. What this Labour Government has achieved is pushing up the cost of buying a house that is now out of reach to young mothers and fathers and to a generation or two who will never be able to afford to own their own home.
The letter talks of “education”; well don’t look too closely at New Zealand’s current record on attendance there either, Kevin says we have taken a hit. I would ask at what point does he admit we are in a catastrophic failure with truancy at some schools at a high of near 70 per cent. More money will fix truancy says Kevin, watch this space, I believe in Northland we have two truancy officers, one in Whangārei and one in Kaitaia, they will have to print a lot more money to get children back in the habit of turning up, I would think.
Kevin, you say you are bewildered, like most of us, this government is leaping from disaster to disaster, we can only repair this damage at the next election by a change back to a National common sense.
John Bain Northland
Convoy questioned
My trip into town this morning
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(Saturday, November 19) to visit the White Cross after-hours clinic was hampered by a group of citizens determined to make my journey slow and difficult. This group were driving late-model vehicles in convoy, displaying flags, continuously sounding horns, deliberately slowing traffic and blocking roundabouts Obviously, they were a well-heeled group who had nice cars and able to burn up petrol without any problem — but what was the purpose of their action and who are they? Can anyone enlighten me?
Shona Smith
Whangārei ■ Editor: They were members of Northland’s Samoan community celebrating their team being in the Rugby League World Cup final for the first time.