Ashamed of decision
I'm ashamed of being part of the council that voted to proceed with the ill-considered plan to sell its revenue-earning ground leases to fund the $32 million to buy the land under the Reading cinema. Why? Because Wellington City Council is fast approaching its debt limit of 225% of our city’s GDP. If it exceeds this limit, no-one will lend council a brass razoo.
Commercial land in Wellington’s CBD doubles every nine years or so, so this $32 million purchase from Reading would be worth $64 million in 10 years or $90 million in 15 years and Reading will reap all of this and the WCC would not gain a cent.
Sir Mark Dunajtschik made a very generous offer that he would approach Reading to buy the property and all income from the lease that would amount to over $2 million would go to his Nikau Foundation Charitable Trust, and he would bequeath the Reading land to Wellington City after 50 years. Great deal for Wellington?
Mayor Tory Whanau said she thinks the tide is turning after this decision. She’s right but in a downwards death spiral going from bad to worse, if any of us doubted whether it was at all possible for the Capital City to get worse!
So my question now is, are we on the edge of a precipice or has Council already fallen into the abyss?
Rayward R Chung, Wellington City Councillor (abridged)
Ignoring the offer
I am appalled that one of Wellingtons most generous citizens and benefactors has had to make a public request (Letters, March 7) for an explanation as to why his proposal to buy the land under Reading Cinema was rejected.
What sort of crass organisation is Wellington City Council, which includes the staff, the mayor and assorted councillors, some of whom must have a modicum of decency, that it was necessary and polite to explain to Sir Mark Dunajtschik why his offer was rejected? Or was it a power move by the mayor and her acolytes to carry out with their proposal no explanations needed to anyone, including Sir Mark and the ratepayers.
I would suggest to the mayor that Sir Mark Dunajtschek will probably never make such a generous offer to this council again and the citizens of Wellington will be all the poorer for it. I am ashamed of our public officials.
Janet Weir, Melrose
Abandoned plans
If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind about the Government’s position on climate change, the Minister of Transport has clarified it. Fifteen new four-lane highways are to be built, along with abandonment of the previous government’s commitment to advancing rail and cycle alternatives.
We are told that this approach will not only reduce congestion, but more importantly advance the goal of economic growth. This flies in the face of all the scientific evidence which tells us that we must reduce our carbon emissions to avoid the worst of climate breakdown. But somehow in making economic growth the ultimate goal, the scientific advice is filed – because the two simply cannot co-exist!
Like many of us who have been working to bring about climate action, I despair.
Philip McConkey, Palmerston North
Collision course
On March 5 about 2.50pm, I was carefully driving uphill on Kelburn’s Raroa Rd. My car was well within the left-hand lane with several other cars. Just where there`s a new cycle lane sign, a car travelling downhill hit my driver`s side wing mirror. My white Honda Jazz was hit so hard, paint was scratched off my driver’s side mirror.
If that other driver checks, there’ll be white paint and a scratch on this irresponsible driver’s side mirror. I tooted long and loudly, but the driver didn’t stop. That dangerous driver must have felt the impact, but just drove on.
As soon as I could safely pull in, I did so and pushed the switch to open the side mirror. It was jammed. The side mirror had been pushed into the window frame. How could that dangerous driver not have realised how hard my car had been hit?
This irresponsibly dangerous driver left me so shocked and shaken, I couldn`t drive later to volunteer for my Soup Kitchen dinner duty. The team was already one volunteer down, but now had to step up and cover two volunteer duties.
The least that dangerous driver could do would be to donate to The Home of Compassion`s Soup Kitchen, Tory St. Even better would be if that dangerous driver became a volunteer there.
Rosemary Cole, Karori
Bike registration
Re: Jim Young's letter (March 6). I was at school in Guernsey in the late 1940s. Cycles had to be registered. A licence holder was bolted under the saddle and it held a coloured/numbered paper disc. A different colour for each year, cost two shillings and sixpence. Equivalent today probably about $20.
Unlicensed cycles could be impounded. Periodic spot checks were made by the police and such things as brakes, tyres, spokes, chain, rear reflector and general maintenance noted. Tickets issued for any faults.
Today such bar-coded licences could be related to a micro-chipped frame. Such arrangements would greatly cut down on cycle theft as any lost, found or stolen bike could be quickly traced back to its true owner so the $20 fee would be easily covered by the added security of the bike.
Such fees would only apply to bikes of a certain frame/wheel size and wheel configuration (two wheelers).
Bob Munro, Upper Hutt
Bus routes
Before Daran Ponter (More bus lanes coming – this time to city’s harbour quays, March 5) rushes off to purchase new buses and build new bus lanes can I respectfully suggest he takes a good look at the present bus system. The coverage of the many start and finish points is commendable. But the scheduling and routing of buses on the Golden Mile needs a complete overhaul.
Just sit at the bus stop outside Farmers on Lambton Quay and you will see from the real-time display that there are north-bound buses going to the railway station about every two minutes. Many are empty, and don’t stop, others contain only a few passengers. You will see similar timing anomalies in the CBD with under-utilised buses going to and from other north/south destinations.
Most buses going into and from the city should stop and start at new bus stations close to each end of the Golden Mile with regular, free, shuttle buses in between. This would markedly reduce congestion, improve reliability, and open up new shuttle bus routes around the CBD. No need for dedicated bus lanes, just clearways at peak times. Also, no need for cycle lanes or the removal of vehicle parking on the Golden Mile where at times buses outnumber vehicles. I think bus drivers would approve such changes.
Tony Vial, Wadestown
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