Letters to the editor: Taranaki renaming a model for Aotearoa New Zealand

There was outcry when Mount Egmont became Taranaki. Photo / Bevan Conley

I enjoyed reading, as I always do, Rob Rattenbury's comment regarding opposition to the use of Aotearoa-New Zealand (Opinion, Oct 4).

It brought to mind the public outcry when in 1986 a name change was approved for changing Mt Egmont to Mt Taranaki/Egmont.

The large number of opposing letters to the paper, often racial, were mainly written under nom de plumes, whereas those more reasoned letters usually had a name attached.

It was about this time I recall the Daily News changed its policy and required names on letters.

Over the years it just became natural to call the mountain Taranaki and in 2020 it became officially Taranaki Maunga. I am sure the same will happen in this case.

I thoroughly agree real NZ history needs to be taught in our schools. "Ask that Mountain" by Dick Scott should be compulsory reading in all secondary schools.

Diana O'Brien
Tauranga

On Aotearoa

Yes Mr Rattenbury, just a word – just like the countless other place names that the Māori Party Petition also wants to change!

Ian Waugh
Rotorua

'Gonna do' Government

This present Government is a "gonna do this" in my opinion. They were gonna build how many houses? That amount they said didn't happen.

They were gonna build light rail in Auckland - they are still waiting. They were gonna fix fuel prices - that didn't happen.

They say they are gonna sort the supermarkets - that will be interesting. Now they gonna fix our water.

They were gonna fix our electricity charges, that didn't happen.

I wonder where the next gonna is supposed to come from? Don't hold your breath.

Peter Kirkwood
Tauranga

Tax changes penalise hard workers

"Landlords sell up as tax rules bite", was the headline on the front page of the Daily Post on October 1.

Landlords are selling up in droves as the Government tax rules take hold. Rotorua Rentals' Pauline Evans said the new tax changes gave landlords two options: "to quit and sell, or increase rents to cover the cost".

October 1 was the date the first year of phasing out interest deductibility for residential rentals was applied.

Between the Healthy Homes Act and this new tax grab, the housing shortage will become even worse.

However, if you read the fine print, there are little-publicised exemptions;

• Māori collectively owned land and housing.
• Emergency, transition, social and council housing.

In my view, the new policy is aimed at landlords to make the switch, to become emergency and transitional housing providers, so the not-so-desirable tenants will be accommodated first.

The hard-working population has just been penalised by the Government, both tenants and landlords.

There's little sympathy for some landlords who have worked hard for decades in hope of living out a retirement dream, which has now been shattered.

As the Government's tax rules, MIQ, and emergency and transitional policies take hold, changing the demographic and landscape of Rotorua, you can't help but wonder if Gordon B Hinckley's saying will become true?

"Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds".

Tracey McLeod
Lake Tarawera

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