Chance to open up great view of city

The Miramar cutting provides a wonderful opening to the peninsula as well as an inspired piece of groundwork standing the test of time, constructed purposefully and at relatively little expense.

Why not replace Mt Victoria Tunnel with a similar earthwork construction? The result will be a stunning open entry to the city for international visitors as they drive the Hataitai rise to the cutting and their first glimpses will be the wonderful commemorative Carillon, the National War Memorial, across the vale to the Kelburn dress-circle and university and hills beyond, then the internationally renowned Basin Reserve, and on through the Arras Tunnel.

Planting ground-hugging native plants could dress the sides of the cutting, a suspended pedestrian walkway could run the length of the four-lane cut and an architectural design suspension bridge could provide continued Alexander Rd access.

What a stunning welcome to our wonderful city this could be. Less expensive than any tunnel formation, naturally attractive in appearance and huge relief for pedestrians and cyclist traffic enjoying relatively non-polluted air and beeping horns.

The earth removed will find a home in the myriad projects requiring it in close vicinity. Save some dollars, Wellington, and make us even more beautiful.

ROBERT LAHMAN environmental and health and safety areas. Some also have standards over contractor staff qualifications and staff behaviour.

Setting a minimum wage standard for contractors is not new in New Zealand, but has taken off in the United States, Canada, Britain and now in New Zealand because there is a community groundswell to do more than blame the Government for poverty pay rates.

Wellington City Council needs to be praised for taking the initiative, driven by hundreds of annual and long-term plan submissions, to award the security contract on the basis of the contractor paying the living wage.

While Eric Crampton (Living wage good for singles, November 20) says that this move will cost ratepayers, the council resolution takes the small extra cost from the council management travel budget, imposing no extra cost on ratepayers in this financial year.

JOHN RYALL

Lyall Bay

Petone