Auckland Council is proposing to close public toilets to save costs. But residents will not go quietly. Photo / Vaughn Davis, File
Auckland, "the world's most liveable city", is poised to close public toilets. Libraries are also under threat, in a society that needs every aid to literacy it can retain.
Covid-19 is to blame, we are told. This is not the fact of the matter. The sell-off agenda was formulated
and activated long before the world had heard of Covid.
The first cutback of the public library service was significant, occurring in 2018. In December 2019 the Leys Institute library was closed and threatened with possible sell-off. The justification: it was an earthquake risk. It was not. According to two recent council-commissioned engineering reports its earthquake risk was insignificant and easily remedied. It was, however, a possible lucrative sale.
Covid is the excuse for such sales, but not the cause. The cause appears to be the loosely neo-liberal agenda dominating the thinking of senior council officials (still over-salaried) and the mayor.
Unmentioned in this context is the ineptitude of the council's financial advisers, who invested our money in hedge funds and lost one-and-a half billion dollars of potential public income.
Denys Trussell, Newton.
When an Auckland Super City was touted, many of us wrote warning of the destruction in small areas such as Eastbourne, which were winched into Hutt City with cries of delight from a council greedy for its rates and attractions.
Auckland Council has shown a similar trend since the Act-inspired decision.
Basic assets quietly maintained by small councils are now in jeopardy because the Super City has siphoned rates into exorbitant salaries, unnecessary, tediously lengthy futile projects marked by thousands of cones that sit about doing nothing like the many unscrutinised council workers - who Auckland public actually employ not the other way round.
Mary Tallon, Takapuna.
Seasoned bureaucrats know that the best way to divert attention from bloated salaries is to forecast cuts in essentials such as toilets or those facilities valued by the residents, such as libraries (NZ Herald, December 7).
But a solution is now apparent. Threatened facilities such as toilets and libraries could be taken over by "Auckland Unlimited" and the need for savings offset by the need to be "future opportunity focused" to "maximise cultural, social and economic benefits" and impact on "cultural richness".
John Strevens, Remuera.
Nick Hill, chief executive of Auckland Unlimited has told us (NZ Herald, December 7) that "our new purpose is very clear: To enrich cultural and economic life in Tamaki Makaurau by creating and sharing experiences and opportunities".
I'd like to thank him for his clarity; I now understand precisely what his organisation will do.
Keith Berman, Remuera.
From where we sit out here in the country we wonder who makes the ridiculous decisions by the Auckland Council to waste most of our rates money on.
We are currently having a larger playground area built at one of the Awhitu Peninsula beaches including a sandpit which is 20 metres from the beach and high tide mark. The sand is being transported in from up north somewhere. All this at a $300,000 cost.
We are already short of parking spaces as boaties need room for vehicles and trailers, plus good days bring another 80-90 visitors cars.
Now I read (NZ Herald, December 7) the council saying it may have to close or sell some toilet blocks and playgrounds due to financial pressure.
I can see now why some of the councillors can't wear a hat, there's nothing for it to sit on.
John Rack, Waiuku.
Auckland Ratepayers Alliance spokeswoman Jo Holmes (NZ Herald, December 7) says decisions should be left to councillors and local boards. I disagree.
It is our local board who, in recent years, has supported spending millions of ratepayer dollars on grandiose playgrounds on the Takapuna and Devonport foreshores. Playgrounds that no one, except for a handful of lobbyists, asked for. Playgrounds that have forever destroyed peaceful green spaces adjacent to beaches and the sea. Playgrounds that have sandpits and water features mere steps from real beaches and in the case of the Devonport playground, sand dunes made of plastic chips which, with future neglect, will end up on the beach and in the sea.
They also insist on installing on our wharf a recycled sculpture which has been re-engineered at great cost.
Meantime our roads and footpaths flood every time there is heavy rain due to stormwater drains being blocked and gutters being hidden under piles of leaves while contractors blow leaves around with blowers and we trip over on broken footpaths.
No, I don't trust our councillors and local boards to make the right decisions.
J Leighton, Devonport.
Super City's sneaky asset sales (NZ Herald, December 7) simply speed up social disasters.
The suggestion of selling essential social assets such as libraries, swimming pools and halls will only exacerbate current and pending social disasters which are likely to increase with the surge in intense high-density housing. All these assets are a "must" not a "luxury". These assets and their support services facilitate the building of communities and reduce social harm. The council must stop this outdated notion of selling the public assets which are needed for current and future generations.
Anna Lee, Pt Chevalier.
Good on Paul Conaghan (NZ Herald, December 7) coming forward with his story: that impending early death prompted this action speaks for itself.
No-one is too old/demented to have their criminal actions revealed and thus give all victims the courage to say "me too".
A spell in prison - or at least recorded, publicised prosecution - is just punishment for this wrongdoing, however old the abuser.
I feel strongly that it could also help deter would-be abusers in the first place.
Juliet Leigh, Pt Chevalier.
The diversion of container ships from the chaos at Ports of Auckland to North Port, must be a substantial PR coup for the latter. One hopes they can build on it.
The downside is the container trucks that must grind their way down the Brynderwyn hills at walking pace. This is not an easy trip to Auckland by road.
Why North Port was constructed with no rail access beggars belief. Now might be the time to make it a project of some importance to Auckland.
Tony Goodwin, Pt Chevalier.
Thank you Marie Kaire (NZ Herald, December 7) for highlighting Queenstown's "greedy prices". If tourist operators are not heavily discounting prices they don't understand simple microeconomics- lower prices mean more business- and should not be kept afloat by taxpayers.
Covid-19 has given us a chance to reset. How wonderful it would be if ordinary families could afford to experience what the well-off have been experiencing for decades.
When we married over 40 years ago, we could only afford one of two Queenstown tourist activities on our honeymoon, and with tourism aimed at overseas visitors it has got even more expensive.
Just to get to tourist spots takes considerable cash. If tourism is to survive as an industry, it needs to adapt to the domestic market. Once governments realise what experts continually say - tourism can never make a country rich - they will have to rely on New Zealanders because there will be no government funding to attract overseas visitors.
Joy Edwards, Coatesville.
I have been a property investor for 45 years, full-time for 30 years.
In about 1973, the then Labour Government introduced a 90 per cent capital gains tax if a property was resold within six months and a lesser amount up to two years to control a similar out-of-control property market to the one we have today. It worked without damaging the economy.
I am not a Labour supporter but a short-term capital gains tax will be effective and should be introduced while interest rates remain low.
Doug Pattinson, Takapuna.
George Russell exposed the myth of Lewis Hamilton's alleged superstar driving.
Russell jumped in Hamilton's Mercedes-Benz, which he had never driven before and which was not properly set up for his size and he blitzed everybody. He is not even a F1 driver. He would have won easily if not for a disastrous pit stop.
This proves the point made by one commentator that his grandmother could win F1 driving a Mercedes-Benz as it is so much faster.
The organisers really need to change the rules to make F1 more competitive, so that the best driver wins - not the fastest car.
Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.
Your photograph in (NZ Herald, December 7) showing the New Zealand bowler Wagner, fist clenched; snarling at the West Indian batsman Blackwood, presumably shows Wagner's reaction on dismissing the batsman (for 104). Wagner makes a frequent practice of adopting an exaggerated follow-through to get into the sight of the batsman as he vents his aggression.
Can somebody not persuade him to emulate his betters? Neither Southee nor Boult adopts those tactics.
But there was an even more salutary moment in this test match that should cause Wagner to think. When Williamson was dismissed (for 251) Roach, the West Indies fast bowler who so struggled with his emotions following the death of his father, made a point of running over and shaking Williamson's hand as he left the field.
Peter Newfield, Takapuna.
On housing
Hasn't the growing housing crisis been worsened by the inflow of returning New Zealanders who hold permanent residency who are seeking a haven during a health crisis? Eric Bennett, Red Beach.
On council
If playgrounds and ablution facilities are in peril of closure or sale, why is Auckland Council still flushing ratepayer money down the America's Cup toilet? Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
Mayor Goff and the councillors exhibit a couldn't-care-less attitude in their manner towards the ratepayers they impose the bills on. Ken Graham, Greenlane.
Mayor Goff seriously needs to sort out his priorities for our whole city. He is not just responsible for the little bit of waterfront in the centre. Julian Joy, Dairy Flat.
Mayor Goff and his councillors should be made to read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. If they can't find one in a shop, they will likely find a copy in their public library, if they hurry. Dave Norris, Mangawhaii Head.
On money
So the Reserve Bank spokesperson says publishing anything that resembles a genuine banknote or coin may be a breach of the law. Has anyone mentioned this to Adrian Orr? Angus Scott-Knight, Maraetai.
On cricket
Why don't TVNZ, Sky Sport and Spark Sport reach a truce and show the rest of the cricket games free to air like the America's Cup? Most New Zealanders have older TVs that won't stream Spark Sport. Bruce Tubb, Belmont.
'It was set up by a group of like-minded farmers with a passion to help others.'