Urban nightmare
I am sure most homeowners in New Zealand's cities are unaware that legislation passed in December 2021, and effective very shortly, has removed all urban zoning protections in all major cities in NZ. The
legislation is The Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021.
For Auckland, this means the thousands of hours and no doubt millions of dollars to develop the Unitary Plan are thrown away and overridden by this legislation.
Think about it: As a homeowner, you have no right to object to the removal of sunlight, privacy and views from your house and the filling of your street with extra cars parked.
At the moment, some protection is being sought for older suburbs but Housing Minister Megan Woods may still reject even that greatly reduced protection.
Yes, the housing problem will not be solved without much more home building. But home building was already underway at a record pace, so why was this destructive piece of legislation, affecting every homeowner in our cities, rushed through with almost no consultation?
Why aren't homeowners marching in the streets?
Alan Kemp, Herne Bay.
Characters lost
It is very frustrating hearing MPs deride Aucklanders who want to protect our city's architectural heritage.
Thanks to protections being in place for character housing areas, private landowners and companies have spent vast amounts of money renovating and restoring classic villas. They should be thanked, not lambasted.
Much as I would like to, I doubt I will ever be able to afford a classic house in Ponsonby (where a number of my forebears once resided), but I don't begrudge those that can. They have contributed to a collective beauty that is now a feature of our city, and known internationally.
There are other character houses that do not have the same profile, as they tend to be dotted around areas such as Birkdale and Glenfield. They were built using kauri and other native timbers from the North Shore and Northland. One-by-one they are being plucked from the streetscapes and a layer of our city's history is being lost there.
Matt Elliott, Birkdale.
Our underclass
Would someone pass me a cool flannel, please? I find myself agreeing with something Richard Prebble wrote. School attendance and achievement go hand-in-hand.
A few years ago my staff and I compared attendance with achievement in our South Auckland primary school. Based on that data we set an attendance target of 90 per cent and reported to our board on that target. We also brought in a range of measures to raise community awareness of the situation and to encourage better attendance.
I no longer have access to that data but the difference in achievement was dramatic. Students achieving our attendance target consistently achieved significantly better than those not meeting our target. For those with attendance under 80 per cent the under-achievement was dramatically worse.
Prebble is right on this score; we must get students in front of their teachers more regularly, if we are to see them achieve their potential.
David Tennent, Wattle Downs.
Familiar straits
No one would argue that some families are being squeezed with higher interest rates. Petrol and supermarket prices too are caught up in a "perfect storm" of global turmoil, skills shortages, and supply chain disruptions and cause more stress on a country's inflation rate and impact their citizens.
For the Opposition to claim that inflation is almost all the Government's fault, as they do, is disingenuous. On a recent holiday to Western Australia recently these sentiments paralleled those of one of the local paper's editorial. Almost every country in the OECD would find editorials written in a similar vein.
In other words, what NZ is experiencing is problematic for many countries and many inflationary factors are beyond the Government's control.
Diana Walford, Greenlane.
Earlier intervention
The most disturbing thing about the Health Minister's plan to "woo health workers" is that it's at least two years, if not more, too late. The entire country has gone through the hell of a pandemic and we're not out of it yet but actions taken in that time do not add up to much. Even the vaccination programme was six months too late.
The intent of the various lockdowns was to give our then fragile health system the time to expand both its Intensive Care Units and staff to cope but government inaction has meant we've suffered much of that for no gain.
Worse, we have health professionals who have been at breaking point for many months. It will take years to result in any improvements and will probably not do much more than replace those unappreciated workers who have either left the industry or the country.
Andrew Little does deserve some credit for finally acting but he has earned considerably more opprobrium for his failure to act far earlier.
With three associate ministers he could scarcely be overloaded - we might have expected better.
Rod Lyons, Kumeu.
Maddening crowd
So the merry-go-round of protests, organised by the Freedoms and Rights Coalition, is underway again. It would be interesting to know how many people who join in these protests are actually workers trying to do their best for themselves and their families and how many are happily receiving a benefit from the Government they so despise.
The sad thing is, they're deluding themselves by thinking they're protesting on behalf of all New Zealanders.
The vast majority of Kiwis, employed or not, are fed up with their disruptive, attention-seeking behaviour.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Affront over-played
What silly complaints by some Kiwis living abroad (NZ Herald, August 1) about receiving offers of financial help from the Government. Don't they realise that, in these times of electronic databases, such communications are automatic? What nonsense to say they are embarrassed or the letter is disrespectful.
All they have to do is reply and say they no longer live in New Zealand or don't need the payment. Quite simple.
There are many who need it. The fact that some went running to a National Party MP with the affront to their dignity exposes their real motivation.
Russell Armitage, Hamilton.
People power
Deborah Hart's comments on why her focus is the Tiwai smelter (NZ Herald, August 2) is a long-awaited reminder of the control this company has had on our country. It has always taken an arrogant stand with whichever government was in power, using the fear of unemployment to boost its case for cheaper electricity.
Back in the late 1970s, this Australian smelter owner, Rio Tinto, had its eye on Aramoana as another major site for an aluminum smelter. Its successful control of cheap power at the expense of public consumers gave rise to this desire. But they hadn't banked on conservation groups, artists and other leading figures to bring Rio Tinto's destruction of the land and sea to the forefront of New Zealanders. They quickly declared the site a "State of Aramoana" and used a decorative caravan to display the charms of a mostly unknown treasure to travel the country.
If the public hadn't been alerted and used their force on the ruling government at the time, the cost of electricity to households today would be much greater than they are now.
Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Rising resentment
Your article on the forthcoming rates leap for Auckland (NZ Herald, August 3) indicates that "the average household rates increase is 6.4 per cent". If only.
My rates increase is a massive 20.93 per cent.
What extra council services do I receive for that? How can Auckland Council possibly justify that level of increase?
Tony Millett, Takapuna.
Rates deferment
A pensioner complains (NZ Herald, August 3) that rates have risen from $879 per quarter to $1325 — because the value of his property has rocketed from $1.2 million to $2.5 million.
Your story should have included that Auckland Council allows postponement of rates payments for residential properties.
The pensioner can apply to defer the payment of all or part of his rates, which the council will collect when he sells his property, or dies.
John Trezise, Birkenhead.
Patcher perfect
Anne Martin reminds us (NZ Herald, August 1) how repairs of potholes were done with less expense in the past. She is right.
We are now living with rules of a different kind, as well as the volume of traffic we didn't have in the past.
Health and safety regulations have been put in place to protect us, so we can all go to work and return to our loved ones with a reduced chance of injury.
If cones are what is required to keep everyone safe, they are worth it.
John Miller, Tauranga.
Short & sweet
On travel
I think I'll pass on the suggestion in your travel section (NZ Herald, August 2) that I make an "international Beatles pilgrimage'" to Russia. Thanks all the same. Doug Hannan, Mt Maunganui.
On TV
TV soap Shortland St is to be used to hopefully assist in rebuilding our beleaguered health structure. Similarly, could regular viewings by our leaders of Yes Minister re-runs, assist in Government decision-making? Nick Nicholas, Greenlane.
On payment
What a lot of kerfuffle about a paltry three $116 handouts. But surely an ode to a complete cock-up? Jack Waters, Taupō.
The hard-working NZ taxpayer has every right to be "outraged". Hard-earned taxes are being wasted by an incompetent government. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
What's a few more dollars going out of the taxpayer, compared to the MIQ lunches, breakfasts and dinners that were dished out? Nishi Fahmy, Avondale.
On bikes
I expect we will soon hear from Auckland Transport that its increase in bike lanes has contributed to New Zealand's exceptional Birmingham Velodrome success. Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
On nukes
I have more chance of being selected for the All Blacks than Phil Twyford has of preventing nuclear proliferation. I am in my 70s and have never played rugby in my life. Ray Gilbert, Papamoa Beach
The Premium Debate
Why we won't celebrate record low unemployment
Here's an idea. Employers shouldn't be allowed to hire anyone who already has a job elsewhere. They should be required to hire anyone who is on the Jobseeker Allowance, even if that person is totally unsuitable or unskilled for the position. Nobody can "go out and get a job". They must be offered one by an employer. Every employer wanting staff should be compelled to hire an unemployed person and train them up. Gina S.
Why? Employers can hire who they want. Best person for the job. Mark Y.
Apart from the provision of training - employers could look at actually supporting employees when it comes to accommodation - a good example of this has occurred already with responsible employers in the horticulture sector. Brian H.
The large number of people getting the Jobseeker benefit is a concern. There are many who really do require it but there is a substantial number who I believe do not. Robin H.
Those that cannot work are under the "supported living"' benefit and are not included in the 110,000. Those with disabilities or illness, who genuinely can't work. The Left will try to shame anyone contesting the "job ready" benefit receivers as bashing the disabled but they aren't in the 110,000. Jan W.
Jobseeker numbers are currently 170,000 with 105,000 that have been on it for more than a year... would be interesting to get the numbers for how many have been on it for 5 years plus. Emma C.
NZ as an economy cannot consume all it produces, whether in agricultural, manufacturing, services or tourism, simply because our population base is too small. We produce and export for a global market. This means we need new people via immigration. An example is that we produce food that can feed 50 million from a population of five million. We need help to do this. These exports pay for our health system, education, police, social services, etc. As our economic and social conditions deteriorate, more of our key skilled workers will leave, making the situation worse. We simply cannot survive economically or as a society without immigration. Pip P.