The Lower Nihotupu Reservoir at Huia in the Waitakere Ranges. Photo / Brett Phibbs
It's more accurate to describe Auckland's water crisis as the worst managed drought in a hundred years than to describe the drought as the worst in a hundred years.
The 1994 crisis took storage levels down to 31 per cent by end of May, from a high point of
75 per cent the previous September, after 14 of the previous 16 months of rain were below average. The current crisis took storage down to 41 per cent by end of May, from a high point of 90 per cent last September, but with more rain and augmented by the Waikato pipeline.
The main difference has been management. In 1994, four city councils – Auckland, Waitakere, North Shore and Manukau – competed to achieve the best conservation figures. Each aimed for 25 per cent water use reductions to get through the drought. It was councils working with residents and businesses that beat the drought and implemented long-lasting water use efficiencies.
Since then, Watercare took over those four councils' water retailing operations, built the Waikato pipeline source, and came under the direct control of Auckland Council.
This time Auckland Council's governance, leadership and performance has been abysmal.
Joel Cayford, Devonport.
These two new travel-related cases are a direct slap in the face by the Goverment to the 5 million Kiwis who came together and sacrificed their freedom of movement and financial wellbeing to rid the country of Covid-19.
Why were "tourists" allowed to arrive here who had not received a test before they left their home country and why were they allowed to leave quarantine before their New Zealand testing results were back? They were probably fuelling up and buying coffees, etc as they travelled, and there was no tracking on them.
The Government needs to explain why a "tourist's" life is more important than a hard-working Kiwi's life.
Kevin Brady, Patumahoe.
I'm a fortunate Kiwi who is free to travel mid-week and off-season, and I really believe in supporting local tourist enterprises. I'm really happy to plough my overseas spending budget into Kiwi experiences.
Some nice lodges which mostly depend on a steady flow of foreign tourists are offering attractive packages to resident New Zealanders. It sounds right up my alley, but there is a problem.
Even at a discount, they are still expensive offerings that are not insurable, even in New Zealand, according to my usual travel insurer's website. If I make a deposit and book far in advance, what happens if we go back to lockdown again? Will I be able to get there at that future date and, significantly, will the tourist/hospitality enterprise still be in business?
Already a bit tentative, my confidence in doing this has been shaken hard by the discovery that two people with Covid were released to travel within New Zealand: worse, that such releases have been routine.
Covid disease has no respect for prayers and promises. Border security must be something we can trust.
Barb Callaghan, Orakei.
A big thanks to Glen Hunt for his letter, "Little lives matter"' (NZ Herald, June 16). I am reminded of the saying, "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones".
The protests in New Zealand are not driven by any real empathy for the incidents in America but by self-interest.
Using the racist card is an easy way to attract the attention of others and commonsense is the loser.
Applauding our gains rather than looking backwards should be foremost in our thinking.
Christine McNamara, Wellington.
I am an adult man that found myself weeping at the revelations presented by your correspondent Glen Hunt (NZ Herald, June 16) He lists James Whakaruru, Nia Glassie, Moko Rangitoheriri, 3- and 4-year-olds that all died a violent death at the hands of adults. Then he goes on to tell us that one child is killed every five weeks.
There are 14,000 substantiated findings of child abuse each year and we read so little of this.
It is appalling. Is this the New Zealand I know and love?
Ian George, Howick.
Auckland Council is encouraging us to submit on the Emergency Budget; however, we do not have sufficient information to meaningfully do so.
A vague threat in the middle of 30-page consultation document of permanent closure of some community facilities, and reduction of opening hours becomes much more important when you learn that it is your local community centre that will close or local library that will have its hours slashed.
Calls to Auckland Council do not reveal further details, although ominously I was told "you will find out when we do" implying no plans for community consultation.
Like many "consultations" this feels like a tick-box affair rather than the meaningful co-creation with community that is required for successfully setting up our city and neighbourhoods for the future.
Joanne Harland, community facilitator, Sandringham.
Health Minister David Clark needs to be commended for his awareness and courageous confession regarding institutional and systemic racism being rife in health provisions for Māori and other minorities.
He is the first to do that and some others have followed since then, whereas even Māori ministers such as Kelvin Davis lacked the will to label the discrimination faced by his people for what it is, systemic and institutional racism.
The best Davis could do was to admit there is unconscious bias against Māori and the marginalised in policing, something the former police commissioner Mike Bush had alluded to some time ago.
It seems people in power ought to take the lead in acknowledging what's wrong and then take steps to correct it. I think Dr David Clark did his party proud this week and should be forgiven his previous irksome misdeeds.
Kanwal Grewal, Hamilton.
I wonder whether people are aware there is a small army of well-qualified people employed by district health boards to analyse and reassign costs for patient treatment to ACC if they think there is a chance of transferring those costs.
Similarly, there is a group at ACC charged with refuting the DHB claims.
Patients don't benefit from these processes and the costs are worn by the taxpayer in some form or other.
One can only wonder whether similar internecine warfare is common practice in other Government departments.
There has to be a better way for highly qualified people to be used for patient treatment and healing, rather than arguing the toss.
Bill Boyle, Orewa.
In life we all - in every race - have done things we regret but we also have done things we are very proud of. We cannot change the past and our kids deserve to know the whole story.
Protest peacefully, yes, but let's talk together, listen to each other, open our hearts and minds, and together recognise/formulate actions that will equalise the sexes and races, lift the standard of living for all, and work towards a better and fairer future for all.
Valda Henderson, Whakatane.
On quarantine
While we have been protecting ourselves, the Government has granted exemptions without explicit controls. If there is a second wave that will be where it will come from.
Paul Monks, Tauranga.
Anyone in 14-day Covid-19 Isolation should not be allowed out for any reason whatsoever, including compassionate grounds. Why should we risk our lives and the economy again for one person? Michael Eiberg, Albany.
Minister of Health David Clark failed to take the lockdown rules seriously in April and somehow held on to the job; what a bad decision that was. We need someone competent in this position to protect the Covid-free status for which we all worked so hard. Alan McArdle, Glen Eden.
Checking and containment prior to boarding whatever means of transport the person is using is obviously the answer. Checking travellers once they have arrived at the border is a nonsense. Nigel Bufton, Pauanui.
Hands up those who still want the borders open? Gerry Beckingsale, Torbay.
On bureaucracy
Fast-tracked, shovel ready infrastructure projects have seemingly passed both the Resource Management Act and the Infrastructure Commission under the Covid-19 umbrella. Can we now have a date for the overhaul of both? Mike Donovan, Remuera.
On MPs
If we were talking about a pay rise, it would have happened almost overnight, just as occurred with their superannuation. A scurrilous group of individuals are politicians. Paul Beck, West Harbour.
It was stated that the MPs' pay cuts would save $2.4 million. Listening to all the rigmarole involved in actioning the pay cut, the administrative costs involved will be greater than the savings. Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
On Sky Path
We now know that the Government will indeed force folk from their Northcote Pt homes to build a ramp up to the Harbour Bridge. Will we see vocal groups of protesters arrive, setting up camp and so on, to defend them? B Watkin, Devonport.
More than two dozen firefighters battled the fire at its peak.