Val King, Clive
Worth of native trees
Re: Cabbage trees - in response to George Williams (September 6).
Mr Williams' frivolous comments about cabbage trees seem to stem from a lack of knowledge of the native ti kouka. The tree is recovering from a disease which wiped out plants in the North Island in late 1980s to early 1990s.
It is a traditional source of food and is fire resistant, which means the tree will survive where other native trees will not. It supports the new growing plants around it and is used to stabilise hilly slopes where erosion is likely.
Ti kouka is beautiful and should not be made pretty and kept tidy just because humans are clean freaks. The leaves have a purpose when they drop to the ground; there is a whole ecology of life that inhabits and feeds off ti kouka.
The flowering ti kouka is a beautiful sight and the fragrance fills the air and attracts bees, which are needed for Mr Williams' pretty imported flowers that have no use to anyone except visually.
There should be more native plants and trees grown in this town. Hastings had a major bush block near Whakatu which was cut down and destroyed by people like Mr Williams, who had little regard for the importance of native trees.
(Abridged.) Ruiha Stirling Hastings
Great NZSO review
It was so good to see the review of the NZSO concert last Tuesday. Thank you for again making it a regular feature. We must support this "treasure" and encourage our audience of all ages to continue to support this wonderful orchestra so they continue to come to this great province.
Sheila Lethbridge, Waipawa
Doctor scheme a rort
The preferred-doctor scheme the Government has in place is an excellent rort.
Particularly if the doctor's admin staff have still not processed, or have mislaid, the correct paperwork which my son completed back in March.
You then have the privilege of waiting for 1 hours to see one of the alleged doctors advertised as rostered on. Consultation: 2 minutes. Non-patient rate for an 18-year-old? $68. Conveyor-belt supermarket-like healthcare at its finest. Wonder if they do weekly specials?
Tracey Otton, Napier
Flawed standards
I applaud Kate White for bringing to our attention the issue of National Standards.
It will be to the detriment of our excellent education system to adopt these standards, similar to standards already rejected around the world.
Teachers need to teach and not waste time with extra reporting. Reporting which insists on telling young children they are failures.
Telling a child they are failing only compounds the problem ... as most of us (not just teachers) can figure out.
And whatever happened to "Tomorrow's Schools", which gave school boards the trust to represent the will of their parent communities?
With about 533 schools already wisely rejecting these flawed standards, Rudolf Steiner Schools are definitely not a vocal minority. However, perhaps this is a timely wake-up call for all schools to re-examine this issue before it is too late.
Jackie Blair, Hastings
