Comeback Queen
Simon Wilson's suggestions for fixing Queen St's degradation (NZ Herald, May 24) will not bring big spenders back.
Penalising landlords for their empty shops won't make anyone keener to rent them.
Going further downmarket with pop-up stores, flea markets, food trucks and street entertainment of dubious quality will not drag successful business enterprises back.
The effort to force people to walk long distances (or cycle) by blocking off half the width of the street has succeeded only in attracting more people requiring a much-increased police presence, not those ready to splash the cash.
High-end designer stores may be ruing the day leases were signed.
Recently, having caught the bus from Remuera to the Civic, I found that the return stops were sited halfway up the steep hill part of Wellesley St to Sky City in the west or past the Art Gallery to Albert Park in the east. Having climbed the latter option I won't be doing that again soon.
I agree with the Heart of the City view that going back to the upmarket way things were is the only chance for Queen St's future. The alternative is probably a permanent slum strip.
Coralie van Camp, Remuera.
Open for business
Simon Wilson suggests (NZ Herald, May 24) that it's the landlords' fault that many shops are empty in the Auckland CBD. I am sure the landlords would have no trouble leasing their shops if only people were going there.
The basic problem with the CBD is because of the treatments given to it by the Auckland Council and Auckland transport, including the restricting of access and restricting vehicles and parking. Heart of the City and the business people also share some of the blame for meekly allowing this treatment to happen. They have discouraged people.
As an example, look at Onehunga. Many years ago, the shopping area was closed to traffic and turned into a mall. Many shops became vacant and the area virtually died. After a few years and against strong opposition, the mall was opened up again to traffic, the empty shops filled up and the area became alive again and still is.
It's obviously simple really, restrict access and make it very difficult for people and motorists and they will go elsewhere. There are plenty of malls with good parking.
Ken Graham, Greenlane.
Revival recipe
To revitalise, Queen St needs a Chinatown with lanterns and big vibrantly-coloured gates, with Qing Dynasty designs.
A thoroughfare filled with eateries, with windows displaying crispy duck and pork.
Menus like steamed dumplings, noodle dishes with yummy sauces and spicy Sichuan dishes.
Tiong Ang, Mt Roskill.
Longer sentences
Life is very precious so the penalty for killing a person should always be years in jail. If done with a gun, knife or cricket bat it usually is.
As per the very sad story on page one (NZ Herald, May 25), if done with a big truck the maximum is three months in jail which the concerned judge lifted to four months with a second charge.
With our usual 50 per cent discount for good behaviour in jail, he will be a free man in only two months.
The law must be urgently changed to lift this three months maximum jail sentence to three years minimum jail.
Our law is so wrong for the tragic families of the victim.
Please fix it before the next paltry three-month maximum jail sentence for killing another person.
The law should be kinder to all.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
Hand over fist
On one hand, the Government requires the Reserve Bank to control inflation and the only tool it appears to have in its toolbox appears to be increasing the OCR every few weeks.
On the other hand, we have that same Government fuelling inflation by spending billions of borrowed money.
Look out for the train smash.
Chester Rendell, Paihia.
Easily done
I see there's funding to be allocated to doing feasibility studies on Manukau Harbour being Auckland's port. I look forward to indications of interest being sought.
Hopefully, when that time arrives, I would have finished my similar studies.
I'm doing those on the feasibility of establishing a chain of refrigeration repair shops in Antarctica, constructing a nine-level parking building atop Aoraki/Mt Cook, and the most problematic of the lot, having all our politicians working together positively to address the needs of the nation.
Peter Nicholson, Ruatangata.
Criminal invasion
Talk of more war crimes against the Russians. Let's be honest, the invasion of Ukraine is a massive war crime in itself.
Russia, without any provocation or valid reason, decided to declare war on Ukraine. And so the absolute destruction began - bombing hospitals, schools, apartment blocks and other facilities, killing many residents and innocent civilians young and old.
These actions are a massive war crime. Plain and simple without argument.
The question remains, should the major world powers have called Putin's bluff and aligned themselves with Ukraine in defence before the invasion began?
Ben Arthur, Massey.
Time to speak
If Russia's ambassador to New Zealand has any moral sensibility and any moral courage, then he should resign. He should follow the courageous example of Boris Bondarev, Moscow's diplomat at the UN, who resigned over the "bloody, witless and absolutely needless ignominy" of Russia's brutish invasion of Ukraine.
The ambassador has seen the daily slaughter of innocent civilians, many of them the very Russian-speaking people Putin is supposedly rescuing. He has seen the utter destruction of their homes, schools, hospitals, shops and institutions.
This sick brutality is beyond any excuse, beyond any state loyalty and has no place in the 21st century.
Come on Georgy Zuev, condemn this barbaric invasion and step down in protest.
Jeff Tallon, Hauraki.
MP profile
It's interesting the negativity regarding the NZ on Air $200,000 funding of the documentary featuring Chloe Swarbrick. The Tall Poppy Syndrome has blinkered our nation.
If only one child/person happens to be inspired by her story, surely that is worth more than the $200,000, which of course pays wages that end up back in our community?
Let's find out more about who/what shaped Chloe to be the exceptional young woman she is.
I know Chlöe works hard behind the scenes to speak for those whose cry is unheard: our climate, our children, our homeless, our nurses/teachers, and those experiencing tough times.
We are past sticking plasters to cover the wound, to be a quick fix.We need to address the root causes of sepsis in our society with many positive role models to balance the daily feed of negativity.
Mary Elsmore-Neilson, Onetangi.
Systemic collapse
Alex Spence's investigative series on mental health services was right on the button. I speak as a recently retired psychologist with nearly 40 years of experience.
While some provision is better than 30 years ago, e.g. dual diagnosis (substance abuse and psychosis) and services for autism, overall the system is at the point of collapse.
In my view, Alex has correctly identified the causes of this collapse: decades of serious underfunding leading to a slow implosion of the workforce, at the same time as an increase occurs in demand.
My congratulations to the Herald for supporting Alex in this work and I hope NZME will continue to do so.
Penelope Sender, Laingholm.
Rising rents
Margaret Turner (NZ Herald, May 25) need not worry about the availability of rentals. Contrary to her belief that the long-overdue increase in basic protections for tenants has caused a mass exodus of tenancies, the up-to-date data (MBIE bonds held per month, if you are interested) shows that the number of rentals recently reached an all-time high. Specifically comparing her benchmark of 2018 to the latest count in March of this year, shows a 4 per cent increase in the number of tenancies.
Jonathan Wood, Glen Eden.
Scenic ride
Auckland Transport (AT) and the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency are to be congratulated on the fantastic shared path from St John's Rd to Ōrākei Basin, which was officially opened on May 26.
I cycled it this morning and it is amazing. The setting is perfect, with native plantings and great views of the city.
Well done.
Alison Feeney , Remuera.
Short & sweet
On crime
The problem is not so much Australia deporting unsavoury characters to New Zealand but the soft-on-crime approach of the police and judiciary. A J Petersen, Kawerau.
On prisoners
Ten inmates at Waikeria Prison get plastered on hand sanitiser. While not funny, it's a perfect example of where there's a will, there's a way. Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
On voting
The young are so poorly educated in civics that their knowledge base is insufficient for the proper exercise of democracy. Education authorities, take note. Allan Spence, Waiuku.
On workers
With unemployment numbers very low and the huge shortages of labour a factor fuelling inflation, surely the time has come to loosen the overly restrictive migration settings?Lucas Bonne, Unsworth Heights.
On cola
Upset with soft drink manufacturers altering their recipes? Protest by changing to tap water. You'll save money, lose weight, and keep your teeth. Chris Elias, Mission Bay.
On US
Come on Mr President, if you can impose sanctions on Russia then surely you can also impose strict measures or sanctions on your own gun laws. Paul Beck, West Harbour.
If only conservative Americans cared about protecting children after they're born too. Huw Dann, Mt Eden.
The Premium Debate2>
'Day of reckoning' for home loan borrowers
Sadly, the wealth gap between the have-nots and have-houses has never been greater. This will only worsen as first home buyers face 6 per cent interest on $800k to $1.1m loans ($48-66k interest/year). For those who bought long ago and lack empathy, you can't get a decent standalone house in a safeish Auckland suburb for less than $1.4m. Even ugly, small, three-storey townhouses with no green space, shared walls and one park will set you back $1.2-1.3m. Geoff N.
If, maybe, could, possibly, etc. Speculation and predictions again. Nobody knows what the future holds, they are just guessing, just like you or I could do. To be honest, those that pretend they do actually know and want to get their theories out there, are often proven to be the most wrong with their forecasts. Mateo S.
A sobering assessment. However, from a societal and generational perspective, a significant decline in home prices would be a positive for New Zealand. Mark C.
The mortgage payer: "Oh, God." The banks: "Thanks be to the Gods." The small business person, reliant on the mortgage payers' discretionary income "< Insert your own pronoun here>." Geoff B.
Governor, you should have started the OCR rise earlier. Warren B.