Thumbs down to pathway
The Wellington to Petone cycle and walkway is a complete waste of money. At $300m for about 4.5km it’s no wonder the country is in a financial mess.
Apart from being an amazing job creation scheme, where are the benefits? Even if it is used by up to 2000 people a day as the protagonists estimate, so what? Are the cyclists and walkers paying to use it?
This madness has got to stop. Those who think it’s a great idea should be putting their money where their mouths are. NZTA and Wellington City Council need to get a reality check when considering such low priority projects.
The opportunity cost of this wastage is high when ratepayers are under serious financial pressure and roads need upgrading nationwide.
Mike Jarvis, Paraparaumu Beach
Loss of direction
A truly sustainable society is one that does not pass the costs of the present generation on to future generations. While many countries are working out how to become more sustainable we see our country going in the opposite direction.
A quick glance at the government’s priority list for the next three months makes depressing reading. Transport, farming, mining, water policies all heading towards more destruction of our environment and increasing emissions.
Our whole economy is being designed to borrow from the future to pay for the present. Seems to me that Aotearoa has totally lost its moral compass.
Marion Lienert, Berhampore
Underwhelming effort
Note to Chris Hipkins and Labour: Far better the country is run as a competent, capable business than the ramshackle, shambolic mess they presided over. When it comes to over-promising and under-delivering, Labour set new standards that are unlikely ever to be topped. And what did they do when everything went to hell in a handcart – stood around, wringing their hands, of course – much easier than making a decision and taking action, eh?
L Barker, Blenheim
Numbers stick out
I have just read this impossibly irresponsible notification of the intentions of our present Government.
Three numbers stick out to me .
8. Cancelling restrictions on importing overseas building materials, while we are presumably still exporting logs and timber to other countries. What a waste. We used to have very profitable timber businesses in New Zealand supplying all building requirements and providing many jobs for our population. Why not now?
27. Literacy requiements for School Years 1-3. It is obvious that nobody in the present government has ever taught children from ages 5-7. I taught these age groups for over 20 years and I can assure you that phonics were a part of the curriculum and that most children did very well. However, we have to consider that some children come to school aged five, where as their educational and emotional age is nearer to three years. These children need extra help and extra time to reach their full potential.
28. This is the only numbered item that makes any sense. Yes, teachers, especially those in primary schools, need better training at university and more practical strategies to cope in classrooms. The standard of teacher training these days, is far from what is really required to make a difference in learning outcomes.
Celia Geary, Feilding
Looking back
In an article last Saturday (March 30) there was an opinion from a Professor MacCulloch on the Ardern government’s handling of the Covid pandemic.
I recall the timing of the roll out of the vaccination programme was because NZ ordered more than one type of vaccine and then decided to go with Pfizer.
The order had to be increased and took time to arrive.
The public health advice that the government listened to was a panel of medical scientists, epidemiologists, who also consulted with experts from other countries, whose expert knowledge was shared via media.
The measures adopted to keep us safe may have seemed too long, surely based on the information at the time.
In the meantime money was spent to prop up businesses and subsidise wages.
We can agree that there are long lasting effects from a global pandemic, of course there are. Not because of the way New Zealand handled it, but because the effects are being felt worldwide. Rather like a world war.
In the end the results speak for themselves. One death to six deaths in Australia, to 20 in UK. We can be proud that New Zealand valued human lives above all else.
Philippa Barker, Eastbourne (abridged)
Legal tender
A coin or note has not passed through my sensitive fingers in the last six months as I go cashless... nor strapless... or cash strapped.
I was doing some Greypower rumination on how much disease must be perfectly transmitted by cash as it snakes its way from grubby hands to old pockets to counter tills to slot machines or from old drawers.
But so too when one studies the eftpos machines as various fingers tap the keys to people's stashes one must wonder when those extremities last wiped their noses, scratched an itch, wiped snot off a baby's nostril or dug into a farmer's pocket after just docking a lamb or hanging up some mutton.
One could argue this reeks of paranoia when there may be an upside called... “building immunity“?
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri
Short memories
Interesting that the Government intends freeing up the use of proven overseas building materials and reducing the requirement for provision of material specifications.
First, they seem to have a short memory. We are still dealing with the fallout from leaky homes where one of the prime causes were dodgy sealants and materials.
Second, 30 years ago I relocated a house in Taranaki. I found the original plans for the house in the local library archives. It was a typical weatherboard bungalow. The plans were in pencil on about four A4 pages showing the basic layout, openings and timber specifications. The concluding paragraph on the final page stated “All work to accepted trade standard” signed off by the builder and owner, probably over a beer at the kitchen table.
In those days a tradesman’s reputation was such that the industry policed itself without all the bureaucracy. It seemed to work pretty well, too.
John Leith, Eastbourne
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