Letters: Change just starting, support for families, building better, Three Waters, and supermarkets

Search and rescue boats out searching the coastline along Ahuriri, Napier. Photo / Clive Holland

John Roughan’s column of February 18 (“We need to be proactive in maintaining infrastructure”) made a number of claims that appeared divorced from reality. Chief among them was the idea that people were cheerfully accepting the flooding of their homes and businesses. I wonder if he checked with the residents of Piha, Napier, Wairoa and Te Karaka. Second place goes to his assertion that upgrading infrastructure would be unnecessary and wasteful. I wonder, then, if he can explain why on January 27 Wairau Rd disappeared under water, while neighbouring Northcote, a traditionally flood-prone suburb which has recently completed a significant stormwater upgrade, did not. It seems doubtful that it just came down to clearing the drains. Jennifer Ashton, Birkdale.

Change just starting

What qualifications in the field of climate science does John Roughan have to enable him to assert “Climate change is here and we know now we’re going to be all right”? I think most scientists qualified in the field, would say climate change is just getting started. And his bit about people being cheerful and smiling? Frankly bizarre. Allison Kelly, Mt Eden.

Support for families

The devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle provides the ideal opportunity for the Government to improve support for families with children via tax credits through Working For Families. WFF is supposed to ensure sufficient income for children in low and middle-income families to live free of poverty. Sadly, only families fulfilling the paid work requirements receive at least $72.50/week IWTC (In Work Tax Credit). The catastrophe experienced by so many families is shocking. Now is the time to act with urgency. CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) has long campaigned to extend the IWTC to all low-income families including beneficiaries and as jobs and livelihoods are impacted by the cyclone the extension is even more critical. The cost, around $500 annually, is highly cost-effective in reducing poverty and as well as acknowledging the valuable but challenging task of parenting through these perilous times. Janfrie Wakim, Epsom.

Quality direction

Recent weather events reveal how important it is for New Zealand to build back better and sustainably. At the heart of this need is quality direction, guidance, and decision-making. A coordinated investigation of options by those tasked with developing the planning, financing, and implementation. We need the best people on this task force. It will be important to look past what we have always done in the past to what is best for New Zealand now. The focus has changed. No more nice-to-haves. We cannot afford them. Time to get the basics right. It feels like we are at war. Do we need a coalition government to all pull in the same direction? Please step up the best of the best. We need you now. Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.

Revise road tax

Fran O’Sullivan’s suggestions for a rebuild in the Business section of Saturday’s Herald held some very good ideas. However, as a great deal of the infrastructure damage is to roading, it is about time that our PM looked at some of the ideologically nice but economically flawed ideas his government has implemented. The clean car discount has filled the car parks at golf clubs with Teslas, and the like. It is again an example of a government subsidy benefiting those that need it least. The hybrid and the plug-in hybrid need considerably less petrol to run and hence pay less road tax, the fully electric drives our roads and pays nothing for their upkeep. The time has come to have a road user charge based on the distance covered so all vehicles pay towards road maintenance. Trevor Stevens, Pukekohe.

Three Waters validated

Given the devastation of the past week, it should be a lesson for all NZers that more investment must be put into our infrastructure and councils must give this priority. It is now apparent that Three Waters was a great policy that people and councils refused to acknowledge. Drinking water shortages and complete cuts in areas, stormwater and drainage unable to cope, and sewage pipes blowing out under pressure. Now we have vast areas of polluted stormwater, the need for bottled water, “slash” covered beaches, and dead kaimoana poisoned in bays. NZ, with all its objections towards it, needs Three Waters. Nanaia Mahuta deserves a huge apology for the abuse she received over the promotion of this policy. We need to heed iwi and our great grandparent settlers for solutions and examples of resilient infrastructure. It revives memories of the old Sunday school song, “The wise man built his house upon the rock ...” Marie Kaire, Whangārei.

Supermarket support

I would have thought that supermarkets would have come to the party by now and reduced the prices of essential items such as nappies, sanitary products, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, water, etc, so that people can purchase them to donate. They could even have a bin for the donations to go in and the supermarkets arrange for them to go wherever needed. You never know they may even earn some goodwill after months and months of prices being jacked up and up. Julie Pearce, Matamata.

Kiwis should be proud

As an octogenarian, one sometimes becomes a bit disillusioned with the attitude of those who only seem to care for themselves. Then we had Covid with kindness and consideration coming to the fore. Now quickly on its heels has come another catastrophe affecting people in different ways but probably mentally and financially much worse. Once again the Kiwi spirit, which sometimes lies dormant, has sprung to life with the traits of help and caring shining like a beacon of light. From the Government, to the man in the street, all should be very proud of how they have acted in this emergency. The road is long ahead, may that spirit stay with us on that difficult journey. Reg Dempster, Albany.

Carolyn and Brian Whittington are rescued by a USAR team from their property at Puketapu which was cut-off by Cyclone Gabrielle flood-waters. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Thwarting looters

The citizens of Puketapu are proposing to install roadblocks and patrol their damaged town. The police don’t want them to, as it illustrates the prolonged failures of our police and courts. It will be very unusual for looters not to have criminal records, and not to have been slapped on the wrist by the court. Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis may be proud of having reduced our prison population, but the public are paying the price. If the police are not able to provide security for the people of Puketapu, they have to accept that the people will do it themselves. Threatening worried public is just not acceptable, if you can’t do the job you have to allow the victims to do it themselves. Neville Cameron, Coromandel.

Kindness inherent

Your correspondent, Rob Elliott, (February 18) writes that it’s a shame that it takes a disaster to bring out kindness in people. I think kindness becomes more visible in a disaster when people’s needs are more urgent and easily identifiable. That does not mean people are more likely to be kind only when there is a calamity. Many studies have concluded that kindness is a quality inherent in human beings and essential for our survival. Selflessness is instinctive. When people are pressed to make quick decisions, they typically choose to be generous instead of selfish. There are many people in the community who give their time and money to charitable groups or help others in many other ways without expecting thanks or acknowledgment. Wordsworth had it right when he said: “...that best portion of a good man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts; Of kindness and of love.” Annette Perjanik, Mt Roskill.

Short and sweet

On Gabrielle

Fran O’Sullivan (Herald Feb 18) suggests selling raffle tickets to fund the Gabrielle reconstruction. This is a perfection illustration of how far out of touch National and the right-wing have become. Raffle tickets. Mark Nixon, Remuera.

On roads

Beware AT, your status as the most loathed disorganisation in Auckland is under threat from Waka Kotahi, who have the advantage of displaying ineptitude nationwide. L Mallon, Te Atatū.

On mayors

Perhaps Mayor Brown and other mayors should attend a compulsory induction course on how to handle the media, rather than looking like a drongo and/or a buffoon? Bruce Tubb, Devonport.

On Labour

Maybe we should re-elect the current Labour Government in 2023 so that they are directly responsible for cleaning up the mess we are currently in, rather than expecting a new incoming government to do it for them. The question however is can they achieve this? Based on their current performance, probably unlikely. Mike Baker, Tauranga

On cricket

When Williamson fails, the Black Caps fail. Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

The Premium Debate

Wayne Brown in background, Desley Simpson shines

Isn’t Wayne Brown exactly what is needed in a crisis? He recognises he doesn’t communicate well and gets on with reviewing and recognising the problem, making a plan and getting on with its implementation. I couldn’t care less about photos of officials being seen to be doing and saying “the right thing”. Bob Parker was a nice enough man during the Christchurch quakes and said “the right thing” but the procrastination in dealing with the repair was unacceptable. Are we learning from history? Kim B.

Mayor Brown was vilified for not declaring the emergency quickly enough, only to find this was not true due to failed communication channels. There are murmurings Hawke’s Bay folk did not get the emergency alert, let alone the message to evacuate, yet we have not seen the same attacks on those responsible. Grant P.

Wayne Brown is the right man. We don’t need a polished spin doctor, we need someone who does the job. Harm B.

Reports commissioned on previous floods and nothing done. That was obvious. Perhaps if councillors and these loathsome council-controlled organisations did the basic nuts and bolts infrastructure jobs rather than maintaining their social media presence, we’d all be better off. Fine by me that Desley Simpson does the comms and Brown oversees what we elect our council to do. Playing to their strengths. Peter L.

Wayne Brown does not handle the media well, but his deputy does. It makes sense that he devotes his time to (presumably) organisation and problem-solving, and Desley handles the media. The question the media should ask is why officials in the midst of a crisis have to stop everything to answer their questions. Anna S.

Wayne Brown wasn’t elected to be the council’s senior engineer. He was elected to run it. Communication with the citizens is also a key responsibility. He should let the engineers run around checking damage. Tim T.