Letters: NZ rail needs be returned to the public

Passenger trains will help the environment. Photo / File

Current "political" planning makes Bay of Plenty and most of New Zealand dependent on road transport, the benefiting stakeholders being roading, motor industries, oil corporates and the Government's massive tax take.

Short-sighted, purely profit motivated. Private equity owning NZ's rail, greedily maximised profits and eliminated any public benefit.

Following 20-plus years of neglect and value stripping by privateers, the tracks were sold back to the Government for $1.

You, the taxpayer, foots the maintenance bill. Railway operations need to be back in public ownership so beneficial future planning can re-occur.

Profits will not halt our planet's climatic destabilisation to a "tipping point" when environmental recovery is no longer possible which is closer than admitted.

Inefficient road transport substantially contributes. An electric vehicle solution simply would overload the grid, but then a more worrying problem arises at end of electric vehicle life disposal of chemically toxic batteries.

Passed off as future recycling, decades old anecdotal evidence demonstrates failure to even recycle millions of toxic dry cell batteries.

Anathema to society is corporate culture driven by unrestrained greed and profits. Needed is a return to wise, unselfish planning for the common good, eg, refundable glass, reusable milk bottles, etc, and importantly, sustainable rail passenger transport.

Jos Nagels
Tauranga

Leave skateboarders alone

We drove past the new Mount public area and both my husband and I commented on how nice it looked, especially with the restaurant at the side.

A few weeks on we see all these nasty stories and letters about skateboarders using it. So what if they are? Good on them.

I'm more embarrassed about the views of some of my neighbours than I am about the youngsters of our town using the facility and skateboarding.

The Mount is a laid back beach and surfing town. Don't move here if all you can do is whinge and moan about our young people living the lifestyle of our beautiful place.

Anna Woolfrey
Tauranga

EVs for the wealthy

Re Govt plugs into EV future (Local News, January 7).

Will that mean more taxpayer dollars going into subsidising the wealthy into electric vehicles?

In my opinion the average working person will never be able to afford an electric car.

James Shaw, our Green minister, signals new policy initiatives (another name for subsidies) for the further up-take of EVs.

We have more than 10,000 EVs on our roads not paying excise and carbon tax that petrol and diesel users are paying.

Subsidies have never worked, they just shift the costs to those who can least afford it. Where is the social, moral obligation in that? (Abridged)

Maureen J Anderson
Pyes Pa

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