Letters: Potholes, drownings, flight frustrations, Ukraine and farm emissions

A pothole on State Highway 33 near Paengaroa. Photo / Andrew Warner.

Opinion

Roads and potholes

The fact that the New Zealand Herald dedicated its entire front page to “Pothole Probe” is another great illustration of how seriously bad New Zealand roads have become. Many of us have been wondering about the reasons for this, some even suggesting we might have run out of cones or it is too wet to get out and fix roads. “Potholes of the week competitions” did nothing to alleviate drivers’ anger at repeated damaged wheel rim and tyre realignment bills. Jokes aside, it now becomes even more disturbing when your paper disclosed Labour’s increased road maintenance funding, compared to previous National spending, and even a suggestion from the Minister of Transport to install a “reporting framework”. So, was there no reporting framework up until now? Maybe Labour has to find and waste another $10 million to initiate an inquiry about its own inadequacies. Or, should we stop barking up Labour’s tree of inefficiencies, where taxpayers’ funds’ have been wasted, and perhaps dismantle the very agency that is clearly the cause of all this ridiculous waste of our tax dollars? Waka Kotahi may well have a modern-sounding name, but its treatment of the roads that we have built and shared over decades is clearly well-and-truly outdated. Maybe now is the time to start thinking of a more proactive, more collective, “taxpayer consulted” agency, rather than just throwing taxpayer funds at a glamorous agency that clearly does not have any empathy at all for the people it is supposed to serve. Rene Blezer, Taupo

There are several articles re the increasing number of potholes. There are several reasons for this: lack of funds at local levels as well as national levels, leading to poor maintenance with increasing traffic as well as heavier loads on trucks. Roads need perfect drainage with good foundations. Mostly in the North Island, we have clay substructure so this needs to be taken care of with cement injection. Beware all drivers, observe speed limits over this work, immediately wash off any cement splashes. While touring the South lsland years ago with our son I remarked there were no potholes. He remarked, that is because those roads are built on solid rock. There was less traffic during Covid for a couple of years, an ideal time to repair, rebuild all roads. But sadly the Government was preoccupied with the pandemic, an excellent opportunity missed. Eric Strickett, Henderson

Labour should keep reminding the public that it was National in 2010 that allowed trucks up to 53 tonnes - equivalent to nine small cars - on the roads. They were warned at the time that potholes would increase dramatically. Lo and behold, they certainly have. Gordon Callaghan, Tokoroa

Lessons from the sea

Sadly, again, drownings are going to feature heavily in deaths these Christmas holidays. Forty years ago, as a teenager, I was rescued from a rip at Waitarere Beach, Foxton, a goner for sure. No lifejacket, ventured out to the depth of my neck, fell into a gaping hole beneath, and swept out in the rip. Not a swimmer at all, panicked, tried to swim against it back to shore, swallowing water. I gave up, seeing nothing but waves. Only to come to on land knowing my good friend Campbell Singer saved me, pulled me back in, a schoolboy swimming champion. The thing I learned forever that day: Mum was right, never go beyond your waist in the water. The best advice ever, still not a good swimmer, but it was between the flags from thereon in. I never took on the might of the ocean’s force again. And if I’m out in deep water on a kayak, boat, water activities, whatever, a lifejacket is my second skin. Please be careful in the water, always, it can be ruthless, can sneak up on you at any time, and shows no mercy, right to your final breath. Glenn Forsyth, Taupo

Christmas flight

Our daughter and family flew from Melbourne to spend Christmas with us in Auckland, via Air New Zealand. Their departure flight was delayed several times. They eventually arrived at Auckland International Airport at around 5.20am on Christmas morning, pretty haggard. A member’s luggage was missing, and couldn’t be located, possibly not loaded at Melbourne? After two days and no contact or update of any sort, we phoned Air NZ baggage inquiries. That was around 11.30am on Tuesday. The call stayed on hold with music playing until it cut off just over six hours later. No “you are in the queue, number 20″, or (laughably) “your call is important to us” or even “this call may be recorded and used for training purposes”. Zippo, nada. Whatever happened to the luggage is anyone’s guess. The airfares weren’t cheap. I sent an email to them. Finally received a call back from Air NZ, using their reservations number this time, and was advised to phone that same baggage claim number, or else drive to the airport and try to get information from staff out there. That’s it. This inefficient and casual behaviour from our national airline is remarkable, and the more folk know about it the better. B. Watkin, Devonport

Farm emissions

The editorial (NZ Herald, December 27) discusses the pricing of farm emissions and the need to get the balance right. Agriculture emissions are unfairly compared to emissions from transport and energy. Unfair, because the carbon emitted from farming was sourced from the atmosphere as CO2 is captured through photosynthesis to fuel food production, thus resulting in a carbon-efficiency that other sectors cannot claim. This process incidentally, also adds oxygen to the atmosphere. The transport and energy sectors have no such mitigating factor as all emissions are the result of the combustion of fossil fuels. The frustration of climate activists and the endless political negotiations around farm emissions are based on the folly of refusing to recognise the neutralising factor that is atmospheric carbon capture. Such failure will always distort the farming emissions equation and makes a very simple calculation unnecessarily complicated. Therefore the balance will never be right. The practice of judging all sectors on emissions alone is an injustice that borders on corruption. George Williams, Whangamata

War in Ukraine

I enjoyed the article by Jarrod Gilbert (NZ Herald, December 27) although I am surprised by his comment he “gave the Ukrainians no chance of winning”. I didn’t see how the Russians could win. Partly because of the Ukrainian behaviour during World War II when, sick to death of Stalin (Holodomor), they welcomed the Wehrmacht as liberators, only to find they were just as bad. Ukrainian partisans stretched the Wehrmacht’s supply lines to breaking point. And also because I’d spent most of 1974 in Tauranga after the heady days in PNG in ‘72-’73 absorbing the spirit of nation-building, trying to absorb the essence of Europe and the West, by reading European folk-tales, and loved Ilya Muromets’ story. Shooting Kyiv’s churches’ golden crosses down with bow and arrows in a fit of rage did not sit well with the passivity Putin expected. I expect Russia will not survive in its current form because of this stupid war. Wesley Parish, Tauranga

I’m pleased that Maire Leadbeater isn’t my negotiator in any dispute. Russia wants to open negotiations now because it’s losing the war. It will employ a time-honoured Kremlin negotiating technique by demanding all the territory it currently holds and then accept a sizeable portion of this, which amounts to getting a whole lot of territory that didn’t belong to it in the first place. If Putin survives, he will regroup and invade again in the future and authoritarians everywhere will have their morale boosted. I understand Leadbeater’s cynicism about the US and its terrible history of foreign policy but in this instance, Russia is waging a war of genocide against the Ukrainians (millions have been deported to Russia, tens of thousands have been tortured, murdered and raped) and against a rules-based system that underpins polities like New Zealand. Ukraine is asking for weapons to defend itself and it behoves democracies around the world to help them against a brutal authoritarian invader. Tony Ramsay, Glenfield

Use of consultants

In reply to Mike Peet (NZ Herald, December 28), consultants have been used since the word was invented. In my previous life I worked for an Auckland DHB for 15 years in the finance area through a few changes of government and changes in names from the area health board to the DHB. Consultants were always employed especially if there was a new manager appointed. For some reason or other new managers had to employ a consultant at an eye-watering rate to show them how to do their job. Why they were employed in the first place if they didn’t know what they were doing was always a mystery to me. So don’t have a go at the present government for employing consultants, every government and government department does it. Julie Pearce, Matamata

Plans for port

Mayor Wayne Brown continues his tirade against the Ports of Auckland, all in the name of “returning the land to the people of Auckland”. As “the people of Auckland” already own the land via the Council, how does he return something we already have? I have not seen Brown’s proposals on what to do with the land. If it is to erect a bunch of expensive apartments - that is for the rich not the “people”. Is he going to make it a regional park - Coney Island-style amusement park would be a good idea. Mayor Brown, instead of ranting against POAL, tell what your plans are for the land you are going to return, and where is the port going to go - the Manukau? Derek Paterson, Sunnyhills

Equally unemployed

Grant Robertson’s income insurance scheme is surely aimed at helping the party functionaries, consultants and other parasites who have had their snouts in the trough for much too long. There is no reason to suppose one unemployed person is worth more than another unemployed person, despite their former occupation; cleaners or CEOs, they are both unemployed and equal. To suggest otherwise is to absolutely denigrate the basic principle of socialism, that our government supposedly espouses. Neville Cameron, Coromandel

Hot chips

When anti-vaxxers knowingly advise me of the “scientific evidence” of a “nano chip” in the Covid-19 vaccine I always comment how fabulous that is. Now, I tell them, we have no need for those pesky electronic ankle bracelets used by Corrections - which all too often are removed - we can simply use the vaccine chip technology and slip a chip into these reprobates so they can run but not hide. Presumably parents could also use the technology on their kids so they can’t get lost or abducted. Too easy. Fiona McAllister, Mt Maunganui

Short and Sweet

On roading

I note that road delays on the Northern motorway between Orewa and Wellsford were blamed on holidaymakers heading north. Perhaps a truer picture was that at the Johnstone tunnel, traffic was diverted to a single lane, causing huge backlogs. After a year of roadworks, Waka Kotahi could have made an effort to prioritise the completion of the main highway north before the holiday season. Pauline Paget, Campbells Bay

While you sit in the queue, reflect on the fact that the Puhoi to Warkworth road was originally scheduled to open two years ago. And its budget blowout could be well over $300 million. We must do better in 2023. Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay

On name crimes

As a name for the hard knocks cafe, how about RimuTucker Bars and Grill? Or maybe Just Desserts, to keep the more hardened miscreants on message? The late Ronnie Barker would probably go for Porridge. Dean Donoghue, Papamoa Beach

On speed limits

While driving on the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway recently, and sticking religiously to the new 60km/h speed limit, I wondered if there are any statistics that show whether the whole-scale reductions are having the desired effect. Are there fewer crashes? Are there fewer fatalities? It would be good to have an update. Janet Boyle, Orewa

When the mayor comes back from holiday, can he ask those who do the speed limits to lift the limit in the near-new road from Puhunui to the airport - 60 km/h is ridiculous so is 50 km/h. Hugh J Chapman, Hingaia

On Covid

Brooke van Velden rightly contrasts the Government’s response to Covid this summer with that of last year. The reason is blatant cynicism. With the election less than a year away the Government cannot afford to make itself any more unpopular than it already is and placing restrictions such as the traffic light system would be yet another nail in its coffin. Ray Gilbert, Papamoa Beach

(Re Brooke van Velden column) Isn’t hindsight a wonderful gift? I wish I had it but then I am not a member of the Act Party. Greg Cave, Sunnyvale

On potholes

There are potholes to be filled. The Auckland railway lines are to be dug up to remove the base rock and have it replaced. My wife has suggested a use for the excavated rock thus killing two birds, literally, with one stone. Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe

How many massive new truck and articulated trailer units have been registered in the past five years? Perhaps they are causing or adding to the pothole problem? Bruce Tubb, Devonport

Premium debate

Pothole nation: ‘This is the worst the roads have ever been’

Roads around the Whanganui district have shown increased potholes and broken seal than in past years. In addition, unsealed roads in the district have not the upkeep that they have had in past years. Malcolm C.

Potholes used to be a phenomenon of driving in America, hardly seen on our roads in the past. Marie K.

As our nation grows we will have to move more freight north to south and south to north. The roads in NZ are just not good enough and are dangerous. Time to really invest in heavy rail to move freight and get the monster trucks off the roads. This will make roads safer, less cost to maintain, save bridge damage. Heck we might even be able to have a real passenger rail service from north to south that actually operates. Robert M.

For a start, the term “state highway” is a misnomer most of the time. I live near part of SH29 in Tauranga. One lane, no median barrier, no lighting, speed limit still 100km. Contrast this with the new SH1 Cambridge bypass motorway which is a delight to drive, wide lanes, room to pull over, which was a godsend during the recent weather bomb, barriers, few on and off ramps, speed limit 110km. Then get to Karapiro and back to a country lane. Heather A.

There is a standard pothole warning sign - used worldwide - triangular. Maybe our Transport Minister has been too busy preparing for his next announcement and forgot to order the new signs. It could be time for the PM to create a new ministry in her January reshuffle: Minister in Charge of Potholes. John A L

NZ no longer has its own bitumen supply, due to the closure of the refinery. The refinery stopped making bitumen more than a year before it shut down. Wellington would NOT listen. They refuse to engage with the energy industry and as a result we are now Australian oil company clients. We have no independence and zero energy infrastructure. Australia, by the way, does not make bitumen. The Government’s arrogance coupled with its ignorance and complete lack of energy policy is the underlying issue here. And it will only get worse. Shona R.

It would be nice if, when they went to repair the potholes, they actually repaired the cause - like poor foundations. I have seen the same area repaired three times in the last three years and it has packed up again. I guess they will arrive soon with another Band Aid to cover it. Ted D.

We are on the Gold Coast at the moment and the first couple of things we noticed was just how much better the road surfaces were to drive on (haven’t seen a chip seal road or a pothole yet) and the much higher speed limits they have over here in suburban areas. Not unusual to see a 70 km/h speed limit on a main suburban road with driveways every 10m. What are we doing in NZ? We are lowering them across the board. I guess that’s what you have to do when your roads are substandard - cheaper and easier than actually fixing them. Bevin A.