Helping ourselves
Thirty months in on Covid-19 and it is the same narrative – vaccinations, boosters, respiratory illness, and masks. Our "Ministry of Medication" team failed in its primary function. Why no mention of daily exercise and 5 + A Day?
Mother Nature brings us the exact product at the right time
to help guide us through winter chills and ills. Hot lemon and manuka honey drink is one example.
How prevalent is junk food in schools, even in the cupboards at home? Do we feed our children porridge, milk, and fruit before school? Do schools sell that cup of soup we used to get with our humble lunch? Are kids busy at break time playing "Bullrush" type games, or do they have their heads in their phones?
Educate our kids about growing plants in school gardens and the prep of wholesome soups and salads. Hold free classes to teach parents how to cook if they can't.
Being active, and eating and drinking right, keeps an immune system strong – a bug or virus has no interest in trying to latch on to that.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
Medical saviours
The desperate shortage of doctors and nurses in New Zealand demands massive changes to our training systems in lieu of political posturing and the jealous resistance by existing medical schools.
A reversion to training nurses in hospitals (full time), while maintaining the input of polytechnics, would increase semi-qualified nurse staffing levels in hospitals, and boost the output of graduate nurses.
The proposal to have a third medical school at Waikato University was side-lined in the context of spending scandals at Waikato DHB. But, if the Government can turn the DHB structure on its head in these complex times, it can also address the need for a massive increase in medical training.
The polytechnic-trained nurses have an edge in the academic sense, but the hospital-trained nurses always had the edge in clinical proficiency. It will take a decade to get graduates out of a third medical school, and that will coincide with the retirement of many doctors.
Bold decisions need to be made now, and we do not need any more committees or inquiries to see the way forward.
Pay and conditions must be competitive too, or we will lose even more of these essential healthcare workers.
Hugh Webb, Hamilton.
Out of time
I received a letter from City Vision on July 5, gushing about the achievement of their responsible financial management and meeting Auckland's needs in the last 12 years.
It invited me to have a discussion about my priorities on Saturday, July 2 at four different locations within an hour's space.
This postal letter sent to every household in the Albert Eden ward explains the very reason I stopped voting in this three-yearly farce: No engagement; no chance; no stopping the waste of ratepayers' money.
Juergen Petersen, Pt Chevalier.
Heritage imperilled
I'm shocked that Simon Wilson, the champion of good design, can back the Government's medium density housing directive that contains the least design standards ever permitted in this city (NZ Herald, July 5).
He says that it will enable better design and possibly also bad design too - which one Simon?
It will, in fact, create bad (cheap) design in poorer areas and better design in expensive areas - is that really what we want for Auckland?
Updating villas with modern amenities and letting in more sun does not mean they're less authentic, it just means they're not museums.
He also assumes it's easy to attain historic heritage status as a scheduled building. Yet, this is an enormous, expensive task that can take years to go through the council process.
Devonport Heritage has applied to have the main street listed as an HHA and has been told our 107-page proposal is a "good start".
How many heritage houses will be lost while we wait for better protections?
Margot McRae, chair, Devonport Heritage.
Money tap
The basis of forming the Three Waters entities is that there have not been sufficient funds spent to date. Several billions of dollars need to be spent to bring the processing of water – in its three phases – up to the standard that the proposers state is needed.
What has not been explained is who is going to pay all these billions of dollars?
The answer is "you and me". If the Three Waters proposal is successful, be ready for very large levies.
David Bentham, Browns Bay.
