Letter of the week: Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay
Satellite cities work best when different geographical features suit the needs. San Francisco is a good example, where you have a hilly side of the harbour suited to housing taking advantage of the views and Oakland on the other side offering large
flat areas for industry and commerce.
Auckland has similar unique regions offering a similar choice. If North Shore had its own airport, container wharf where the naval base is, and focused on its own industrial park, we wouldn't have the ridiculous and unnecessary conveyance of half its workforce crossing to and fro over the bridge on a daily basis.
The North Shore, as an independent satellite city, could take advantage of more economic use of land; more individualised and concentrated governance suited to its unique geographical features; encourage more localised entrepreneurship; and also bring with it, a much closer journey of workers to their place of employment. A reduction of congestion on arterial routes and a reduction in greenhouse gases and global warming would be a bonus.
Dammed juggernaut
John Roughan (Weekend Herald, June 11) should be compulsory reading for all New Zealanders who give a damn about the future supply of fresh water and the disposal of storm and foul water.
A great number of rural properties will never know the benefits of the proposed supply and control of water. These properties will continue to do what they have done in most cases for more than one hundred years, control their own water needs with great success. As for the rest of New Zealand's population, we will pay dearly to have the resource supplied to our homes, and the unwanted water removed.
We frequently think councils are inept, but the juggernaut which will be created to control the future supplies of water will soon make us plead for the return of councils' stewardship of nature's most valuable gift.
Bruce Kay, Hillsborough
Ramble on
Reading the pipe-dream of turning Queen St into La Kiwi Rambla (Weekend Herald, June 11), I believe Simon Wilson has finally lost the plot. The only similarity is that they are both tourist traps designed to part person and wallet, financially and/or physically.
La Rambla is two roads, each about as wide as Queen St, with pavement in the middle and on each side. It is roughly twice the total width of Queen St, giving the feeling of space. In comparison, Queen St is a strip mall, like Manurewa or Papakura could be after money has been spent on them, flanked by glass monuments to corporate greed and completely devoid of character.
That is the problem. There is nothing in Queen St that we can point to and say "this is us"; hasn't been since Santa and the Neon Cowboy left.
What is there quite rightly now caters only to international students and cruise ship passengers, which is why it is a little empty at present. Kiwis have gone elsewhere. I've worked in the CBD at various times and I can say I've only ever used Queen St as a means to get somewhere else more interesting.
Mike Diggins, Royal Oak.
Merchants of menace
Anthony Williams from NSW (Weekend Herald, June 11) hit the nail on the head regarding New Zealand's driving culture. I wonder if he was aware he was driving in a country with the worst road deaths in the OECD?
Nothing is going to change until the entire driving culture is turned around and New Zealand drivers learn some road rules and courtesy. It will not happen by just talking about it.
Police are tied up with more important things, especially in Auckland.
We already have technology that needs more wide use, and not only to dish out fines. As penalties increase, licences should be confiscated for a major period of time until the driver can drive in a civilised manner.
Williams says he feels lucky to have survived his trip to New Zealand. I'm glad he did.
I just wish those with the power would take more notice and act.
Arthur Amis, Red Beach.
