Payinga fair share
As a one time daily commuter over the hill, by car, I appreciated the comments about racing by motorcyclists. Far from impeding their passing attempts, I always took pains to allow them through. Having seen my first fatal motorcycle crash at age 8, I have no wish to repeat the experience.
Accordingly, given the National Government’s reforming zeal and the introduction of Road User Charges for electric vehicles, might I suggest another transport inequity in need of a remedy.
The ACC account for motorcyclist injuries nowhere near covers the cost, yet successive governments have avoided the obvious remedy. Immediate action to raise motorcyclist ACC levies is called for. The shortfall is borne by other road users, principally private cars – petrol and now electric.
Rob Harris, Riversdale Beach Better comms, please
I am truly “Outraged of Hataitai” after reading Council’s ‘spin spend’ revealed
(February 27). Do the WCC and staff believe an advertising campaign to “stop grumbling by residents” will result in an aura of sweetness and light about the city, banishing all our cares about small issues like clean water, sufficient water and a wellfunctioning sewerage system? Exactly which Yellow Brick Road do they think we are travelling on? With 50 staff on “comms”, why is it that there is no advertising campaign informing us of the success or otherwise of our efforts to conserve water? Does it matter any more? Do we still need to be having navy showers? The lack of rain in Wellington currently would indicate yes, but a community needs positive reinforcement at times like this, otherwise the momentum is lost.
Could I suggest that the 50 comms staff be redeployed to Wellington Water or the water rates office to at the very least help with answering the phone. Despite frequent attempts, I have never managed to speak to anyone in that department or to get an informative reply to an email over the 2½ years it took to get my water meter installed and registered.
Anne Couper, Hataitai [abridged] (February 27), either insightfully or unintentionally highlighted what should be an uncomfortable reality for all involved in real estate – and indeed for all of us desiring of a fairer and more prosperous future for our next generation.
His comment “learning about Māori culture seems to have no or at best only vague peripheral relevance to real estate work” says more than perhaps he realises about an industry focused on increasing commissions from increasing property values, without concern or compassion for those families, many of them Māori, struggling to find a barely affordable home.
Mike Horner, Silverstream tribal leaders affixed on the document. It is a political agreement, and its cultural significance was not its central purpose.
In my humble opinion the correct nomenclature to describe the relationships in the Treaty of Waitangi is partite, bipartite and
multipartite. That then allows us to enjoy our country’s wonderful array of multicultural elements unimpeded.
Christodoulos Moisa, Whanganui