Letters: An Auckland Māori attraction for tourists; delays trying to see a doctor

Patients queue from 6am at an Ōtara clinic due to long waits and problems getting bookings at other GPs. Photo / Ben Dickens

OPINION

An Auckland attraction pā excellence

I agree with Sir Bob Harvey and Sir Ian Taylor that Auckland needs a world-class attraction to entice tourists here in greater numbers (NZ Herald, Sept 3). I like the idea of a waka on the waterfront, however I believe there is an even better idea which will appeal to visitors even more. Ngāti Whātua is sitting on a gold mine with Bastion Point.

If they could develop a full-scale traditional Māori pa there, this in my view would quickly become New Zealand’s top tourist attraction. I visualise a “working” pā with carving and weaving demonstrations and hāngī and kapa haka etc.

Wherever overseas tourists go, the thing they most want to see above everything else is how the indigenous people used to live. If people coming off cruise ships could do this right here in Auckland, rather than busing to Rotorua, they would absolutely love it.

I’m guessing they would be okay paying $90 or so for this experience? New Zealand residents could pay a reduced price of $50 perhaps?

Properly developed and professionally run, this could be a real winner for both Māori and New Zealand.

Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.

Doctor delays

I confess I’m a hard-hearted sort but the Herald photo of people queuing for hours in the early morning in the hope of maybe seeing a GP broke my heart (Sept 2).

That’s proof that our GP system is broken. Governments (including this one ) have ignored this looming problem. And I read that most GPs have closed to new patients.

The Government must supply the funds needed. And we desperately need a capital gains tax to provide enough funds. This Government must do it – it can’t wait until the next Labour Government.

Rex Beer, Whangaparāoa.

Seeing a GP

Why is the GP doctor issue so bad in Ōtara? Could it be that doctors simply don’t want to work in the area?

Immediately after reading the Herald article yesterday, I requested an online appointment with my regular doctor at the Westgate Medical Centre and could get a multiple-time option appointment within seven days, mainly because he only works part-time.

I could get an appointment with one of the other eight doctors at the practice the next day. My wife could get an appointment with her doctor at the two-doctor Hobsonville Medical Centre practice the same day.

Lloyd McIntosh, West Harbour.

SIS snow job

The latest PR blitz by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service is its new attempt to convince us that it is much use at all and is a continuation of its years-long post-Christchurch whitewash (NZ Herald, Sept 4).

In the past, it padded out its poor reputation with unproveable assertions that it had saved New Zealand from three serious terror threats. Its new report states that one threat lies with “an individual who has self-radicalised, taken steps to avoid detection and acted alone”.

It is endlessly and tragically galling that the last time it had such an individual in play, whose hateful beliefs and threats were published on the very internet sites it should have routinely monitored, it dropped the ball, and incompetently – to the point of complicity – let that awful slaughter of innocent worshippers take place.

No less galling is the thought that those in the organisation at that time may not have been got rid of and are still part of the snow job.

Peter Beyer, Sandringham.

Sustainable living needs strong leaders

The science is indisputable that we need to reduce emissions and soon. We know that to achieve this reduction, it’s essential that we drive less.

Nobody wants to drive less. We don’t want to bike or walk or take public transport. It’s harder and we’re not used to it. If we’re ever going to break our addiction to cars, what we need is a strong leader who will inspire us to do what we all know we have to do, not because it’s right, but because our survival depends on it.

This is serious stuff. When, instead of helping us face up to reality, our Government panders to our desires, they are not doing us or our kids any favours. Payback time is here and now as we’ve seen in recent times with unprecedented weather events.

Those in power should lead us to a way of life that’s sustainable into the future. If they put more roads in front of us, of course we will use them and be even less likely to make the changes we know we have to make.

Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.

Circular argument

The call for politicians to “work together for the good of the country” will never be delivered. There is no nationwide agreement on which direction we should be paddling the waka.

Do we need more taxation or less? More equality or more equity? More central control or less? More industry or less? More roads or more rail?

We have left-wing and right-wing political parties because we have voters with fundamentally different views of which direction is the right direction. We are stuck with a waka that goes in circles.

Andrew Tichbon, Green Bay.