Campground decision bad for community

It is bad enough that Wellington city councillor Paul Eagle, who has been elected by the residents of the southern ward, admits ‘‘Happy Valley equals tip’’ but for the paper to put a picture of the tip below the proposed camp ground and describe it as ‘‘near’’ is even worse. The less than thousand words of your article (August 7) hardly compensate, although a better job of exposing Eagle’s arrant disregard for his constituents and the council’s ineptitude would be hard to find.. The council has already made the visitor centre carpark at the end of Owhiro Bay Parade a freedom camping area, and it has failed to properly manage the obvious demand let alone promote the attractions of the south coast of Wellington, which the proposed camp ground site is ‘‘near’’. It is also only 7 minutes drive away from the city, but it appears Eagle and this paper have not noticed that the tourists all have cars and vans. A man of economic vision indeed, and a council to match. I despair.

CRAIG WILLIAMS Owhiro Bay

Time to talk tough on immigration

Winston Peters mentioned most immigrants coming to New Zealand had no home or guaranteed job awaiting them. A sad situation, seeing as over half a century ago, British, Dutch and Danish migrants with their families had to have accommodation and a job prearranged, plus three conduct references and a medical certificate of exemplary health before acceptance.

I know this, as I was one such migrant, arriving in early 1958, having joined up to the New Zealand Army in Scotland. I befriended a couple and their young family who, I was told, were supposed to be booked on an earlier voyage, but were not cleared by the consulate in London because their young daughter had caught an ear infection. Sounds tough, but why should New Zealand have to be lumbered by medical costs, just as not bring in someone with a criminal conviction.

This scheme ran until the mid 1960s when governments such as Norman Kirk’s opened up the floodgate of immigration, which has been ongoing since then. I believe new immigration laws need to be invoked, as our country, with a small population can only develop at a certain pace.

JIMMY ANDERSON Napier

Quality over supply for dairy sector

This Government’s economic polices that protect farmers has seen the watering down of our country’s commitment to reduce methane and nitrate emissions. On top of this, farmers have been over-stocking their farms and over-producing milk that has helped to flood the world market while polluting our rivers with nitrates. Every aspect of this Government’s policy has been with farmers in mind so as to protect the dairy industry, including the current TPPA negotiations. Nothing new in this, National is a farmer’s government. Time though to take stock and realise that dairy is not going to save our bacon, and look to new industries. Tourism and becoming truly clean and green could be a starter. We have an opportunity to lead the world in protecting our environment if we get farming and its contribution into line with its decreasing value to our economy.

Fewer cows and quality production instead of over-supply would be a start.

TERESA HOMAN Upper Hutt

Bullying in healthcare is not tolerated

The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) agrees with colleagues that bullying in the health workplace is entirely unprofessional and should not be tolerated (August 5).

Raising awareness of inappropriate behaviour, disruptive behaviour and harassment in the medical profession is an important step in the process of eliminating the problem.

We believe that all bullying should be confronted, reported and eliminated, and we recognise that victims can face significant barriers in speaking out. Good healthcare needs good teams. Staff must be trained to recognise and deal with instances of bullying and harassment; addressing bullying is about creating a safer environment for both staff and patients.

Professionalism in medicine should be as important as knowledge and skills. And it is important for health professionals to remember that professionalism is not just how we treat our patients, but how we treat each other.

Dr STEPHEN CHILD New Zealand Medical Association chairman

Green theory doesn’t add up

Your editorial (August 6) exhorts the Government to act to eliminate coal from our national business. It follows the Green mantra of ‘‘the world is ending’’ and unless we stop producing the minuscule fraction of 1 per cent of greenhouse gases that coal in New Zealand contributes to the global equation then all is lost. At the same time, I read that Genesis, the owner of the only coal-fired power station in the country, at Huntly, is on track with its existing plans to retire those generators within three years. What a joke. If Solid Energy stopped supplying coal and Genesis needed it to continue fuelling Huntly it would simply get it elsewhere and not a jot of difference would be made to emissions.

The desired outcome is being achieved by the industry without government intervention. When will Green control freaks learn this lesson? I suspect it will take until Antarctica melts. In other words, never.

ANDREW ROUPPE VAN DER VOORT Papakowhai

Obligation to look after workers

Everyone agrees we should not go to work expecting to get hurt or die. The Health and Safety Reform Bill is working towards its third reading. I don’t understand. An inquiry after Pike River recommended law changes, which the Government is now going cold on. Amongst these changes is that there should be input from workers in all workplaces, via health and safety reps. Who best to identify hazards and issues and help resolve these? The workers themselves. The farmers, it seems, are revolting. They believe they know best when it comes to health and safety matters. Yeah right. Look at the records.

So, the Government is seeking to change the original bill so as to exempt workplaces with fewer than 20 employees from seeking workers’ input. This is crazy.

HEATHER MULHOLLAND Pt Howard