D-minus on heritage protection
John Hare (Letters, May 2) corrects a barmy suggestion from another correspondent that the restoration of the Christchurch Town Hall was done without fixing the foundations. He was too modest to mention that he had a leading role in the engineering design of the restoration of this and many other earthquake-damaged buildings.
I had a relatively minor role as an RMA hearings commissioner, basically signing off various aspects of the restoration of heritage-listed buildings, including the town hall, requiring consent. Whenever I’m in the town hall now I remember my site visit and recall the major damage that has miraculously been repaired.
John Hare’s letter concludes with a comment about Gerry Brownlee being right. If Mr Brownlee was a supporter of the restoration of the town hall then he certainly was right, but overall I would give him a D minus for protecting earthquake-damaged heritage buildings.
He signed off demolition of the Highpara building in High St (which I had an interest in), ignoring the advice from John Hare’s firm that it was repairable. In the case of my heritage-listed building further down High St I had to initiate judicial review to get Mr Brownlee/CERA to withdraw their demolition notice. David W Collins, Governors Bay
Council spending
Geoff Brodie (Letters, April 30) endorsex Mike Yardley’s opinions on profligate council spending. The reality is that Yardley’s opinion reflects his conservative political alignment.
This faction at council is responsible for the decisions to spend up large on the new stadium, and also for policies seeking increased dividends from CCHL businesses, by which the latter would drive escalating charges for services that most ratepayers use – therefore a backdoor rates hike by another name.
When it comes to the elected members sitting around the council table there isn’t much difference in the expectations regardless of political leaning – as witnessed by Cr MacDonald’s assumptions that ratepayers across the whole city should subsidise excess usage charges for his Fendalton constituents filling their swimming pools and endlessly watering their exquisitely manicured gardens. One way of tackling this sectarianism at City Hall is to abolish wards and elect councillors at large across the whole city – compelling them to represent a wider range of interest
P J R Dunford, St Martins
Road reliability
Andrew Couper’s letter (May 4), reminded me of when columns of tanks passed our door, on their way to England’s south coast in preparation for D-Day.
The roads of Christchurch apparently require extensive digging and compacting each time the surface is disturbed, as Andrew points out.
London’s roads must have been made of sterner stuff, since later that day all traces of track marks were obliterated, with that lovely tar-smelling truck being put to use. Twelve years later, buses and other traffic used that road without any major work required, as I recall.
Vic Smith, Halswell
History analysis
Last week a professor of history posted an opinion piece, Why the new history curriculum is failing students.
In a few short columns he scholarly analysed how agenda-driven policy can harm, He then proposeducid and compelling reasons for change and what those changes could accomplish. Thank you, Paul Moon
Mark Cooper, St Albans
Wars must end
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand has urged China to “halt actions” which assist Russia with its war against Ukraine. However, China is to be praised for resisting supply of military weaponry to Russia and for trying to get a 10-point peace plan accepted by both sides in the appalling Ukraine conflict.
It would be good if we called out Nato, the US and the EU for their staggering increases in military hardware to Ukraine. Where will it end? Wars must end.
Escalation simply means more deaths, more destruction, more horror. As a peace-loving nation it would be wonderful to hear our Government, and Foreign Minister Mr Peters in particular, giving a serve to all participants with an urgent call for cessation of all military action in Ukraine.
Marie Venning, Shirley
Ground to rubble
The problem for Israel is few deny that what Hamas did on October 7 was extremely stupid or cowardly.
But some Israeli politicians, especially Benjamin Netanyahu, are of the absolute opinion that Gaza must be comprehensively ground into rubble and look like Stalingrad did when its battle ended.
A barren, lifeless hellscape, governed by nobody for anybody.
When Israel so rejects an International Criminal Court ruling that its politicians are vowing to take action to completely destroy the Palestinian Authority, the two-state solution is dead. Gone. Over.
Because Netanyahu wants it that way. Rob Glennie, Bryndwr
Profits over conscience
In reply to Felicien Forgues’ letter (May 3), what you are describing is capitalism. Weapons in one end, food and bandages in the other.
Both make huge profits, and conscience does not come into it, only greed.
Pat Nicholls, Runanga