Defects arise at any time
prime minister who shows he has integrity. Maybe it’s time we showed him how much we don’t like what he’s doing to the reputation of New Zealand as a fair and honest country. Let’s hope this is his last term in office. We’ve all heard about the psychiatric patient on medication for his condition, but who stopped taking it because he felt better, then went out and killed someone.
The Government is obviously thinking the same way with its proposed changes to the Warrant of Fitness/Certificate of Fitness system.
Apparently, the low number of accidents attributable to vehicle defects is seen as a reason for reducing the frequency of checking for defects. How does that make sense? Defects can arise in vehicle systems at any time.
Granted, mechanical components take time to show wear, but damage to tyres and glass can happen at any time to a vehicle of any age.
Similarly, every driver must notice the number of vehicles with defective lights. Fixing these problems promptly improves the safety of all road users, and benefits the whole community.
Reducing WOF/COF oversight would be a backward step. (Sept 25) is at odds with what those instructions actually were.
In 1839, New Zealand Company secretary John Ward gave instructions about the reservation of what was to become known as the Town Belt. He said it was to be public property ‘‘on condition no building be ever erected upon it’’. The first map of the town of Wellington in 1840 by the surveyor-general, Captain MeinSmith, shows it ‘‘reserved for the public and not to be built on’’.
I’m left wondering whether Ms Ritchie’s comment was a simple error or a council attempt to justify more buildings in the Town Belt. The council has ignored the instructions of Wellington’s founders and donors of Town Belt land by supporting another badminton hall there.
The just-released Draft Town Belt Management Plan allows for ‘‘sporting hubs’’, which will mean even more buildings. The council is also out of step with the wishes of most Wellingtonians on this matter. Surveys indicate they don’t support more buildings in the Town Belt and want its remaining open space to be protected.