Letters: Consultation, attacks on police, motorsport, Australia and heritage houses

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during her speech to the Local Government conference in Palmerston North. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Is there anyone listening?
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is reported on Three Waters (NZ Herald, July 21) saying "the Government is listening but it's not changing its mind" despite using its mailing lists to encourage supporters to submit.
The opposition is doing likewise. Could there be a more pointless exercise?
Ardern went on to say the Government would not budge from the major planks of the reforms including co-governance by boards selected jointly by councils and mana whenua. New Zealand's new form of democracy.
In the same edition, the new CEO of Watercare writes a column on "raising the high-water mark on consultation with communities" because "it is the right thing to do".
Could there be a greater disconnect?
June Kearney, West Harbour.

Double time
We need to urgently stop attacks on police such as the violent punch to the head of a police officer (NZ Herald, July 20).
If we do not, police will struggle to get many more recruits.
My solution is easy. Pass a law that when the judge gives a sentence to the criminal, if the victim is a police officer on duty, the sentence is doubled.
That will make these criminals think twice before offending as they then know they will get twice the sentence when convicted.
Please do it. We need it now.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.

Sporting chance
The loss of the Pukekohe motorsport facility (NZ Herald, July 21) has wider implications to Auckland.
The facility is used for many sporting events, including national duathlons, cycle time trials and criterium events and running events.
It is the one place where cycling and running events can be held without road closures.
Many young people have had the opportunity to learn to cycle in this safe environment. The loss of this facility to Aucklanders is far bigger than appreciated. Many of the sporting events held there will no longer be able to continue.
Hopefully, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing may provide some opportunity to allow other sporting groups to continue to use part of the facility for sporting events other than thoroughbred racing.
Alison Feeney, Remuera.

Laud of verdance
Reading the news, nothing seems to be going right here or overseas.
My wife and I recently returned from South Australia after visiting family.
Since last summer, Australia was in our news and appeared to be on fire and later in full flood mainly on the eastern seaboard.
No mention on our mainstream news outlets of rains that have greened the interior of Australia, a huge area. No mention of Lake Eyre which, according to locals, only fills with water about once in eight to 10 years.
The flight into Sydney from Adelaide revealed green farmland and lush forests with city reservoirs full and streams flowing. The rains for the majority of people in Australia have been amazing.
I hope this news brightens up your day.
Bruce Turner, Cambridge.

Historic makeover
Auckland Council and Government, please think carefully about the choices you make. Let's not repeat the mistakes of previous caretakers of our city.
Among many unwise decisions made in the past, one stands out: the demolition of the tramways in Auckland City and its suburbs in the 1950s.
At the time, it seemed so modern and forward-thinking. Let's not repeat that error. We are now aware that it's easy to demolish but a rebuild is much more difficult. Our precious heritage houses, built mostly from native timbers are a testament to the history of our city and its people. They have come through epidemics, wars and the collapse of our economy (1929-1935ish) and survived. They give us a sense of permanence.
R. F. Baird, Devonport.

Unwelcome environs
Writer Niall Robertson (NZ Herald, July 19), as with many others recently, expressed concern about the pending reduction of heritage and special character designated housing.
In fact, the proposed reduction is not huge and it is unlikely the Government will insist on more. Vastly more certain to destroy the ambience of our pleasant older inner suburbs is the allowance, within 800m of major transport, of six and more storey blocks, closely adjacent to any and all property boundaries.
Not all who work in the city wish to spend their lives in an apartment. The towering structures, or the threat of, will displace and discourage many model citizens from currently still pleasant properties and areas. The supply of apartments is sure to exceed the needs of post-Covid downtown employment. Occupancy will drift down the social scale and further degrade many pleasant and safe suburban areas.
Very able youngish city-employed professionals who, until now, aspired to homes in these areas will not relish retreating to the outer suburbs with a more than 800m walk to transport plus a tediously long journey. With this and other negative societal trends here, many will likely take their talent overseas.
Bob Culver, Avondale.

Enough consensus
Simon Wilson (NZ Herald, July 19, and earlier) has spent a lot of time this year telling us why various mayoral candidates are, in his opinion, not suitable for the job.
Inability to build consensus seems to be a common factor. In fact, attempts to build consensus have largely contributed to where we are now - a cautious, middle-of-the-road approach that will never achieve the transformational initiatives needed by the city.
Successive mayors have not been able to prevent a cadre of highly paid bureaucrats from determining how Auckland will be run, through their control of information flow and policy development. I'd love Wilson to tell us how this can be fixed, perhaps using his skills in identifying best international practice in public policy areas.
He could start with Brisbane, which seems able to run a vibrant and forward-looking city with a fraction of the senior executives required here. The answers might well point us towards the right choice in October.
Duncan Simpson, Hobsonville Pt.

Student flats
I was a student in the early 1970s. I had a flat with two other students; over half of my income went into rent.
My possessions were a mattress, a small bookcase and some second-hand textbooks.
We would often run out of food and money. We did not have a telephone, if we had to make an urgent call there was a telephone box at the corner of the street.
This is not to say that my life was harder or maybe easier than that of students today. But during these times I never perceived myself as being in poverty, I never saw myself as being poor.
I saw myself as a student and this was the reality of student life. I wonder if media attention is painting students into a corner of perceiving themselves in a way that, as a result, makes their life miserable. I enjoy reading articles written by your happiness editor, Matt Heath. So I will conclude a quote from one of his favourite philosophers, Marcus Aurelius: "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts."
Mark Beale, Wattle Downs.

Captain's call
I am an avid rugby league fan but I also like watching the All Blacks play. On Saturday's Ireland v All Blacks third test, I saw what I think was the most shameful incident when All Blacks captain Sam Cane was replaced.
He looked flabbergasted and ashamed. It looked like the team was surrendering to
Ireland and that Cane was to blame.
Shame on you NZ Rugby just imagine what he was feeling then and now in front of all New Zealand rugby fans.
W. George Tukere, Ngāruawāhia.

Main trunk line
In the past seven days, Taumarunui and other areas have lost their fibre connection for four days, this has meant no phones, e-mails or other Wi-Fi activities such as online banking. Hospitals have not been able to do blood tests and businesses have not been able to use Eftpos. Our local pharmacy had to ask people to go to the local ATM, which fortunately was working, to pay cash for transactions.
On top of this, all phones on fibre were out of action so if you had an emergency, too bad.
What this has brought home to us is that there will never be a cashless society and we have to have a phone system that is not dependent on fibre.
There has to be something better than this, it was more efficient in the past.
Tom O'Toole, Taumarunui.

Short & sweet

On republic
Is the Government leading New Zealand down a path to republicanism by stealth? Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.

On footpaths
If Queen St is pedestrianised, will fast-moving, silent vehicles like scooters, bikes and skateboards, that make walking such a nightmare also be banned? Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.

On police
When I was growing up no one would even think of assaulting a police officer. Unfortunately now, it's happening on a regular basis. L. H. Cleverly, Mt Roskill.

On rugby
When it comes to taxpayers' money, millions of dollars can be found, even a billion dollars for some projects. But New Zealand Rugby can't even find a paltry two million to get its failed project back on track again. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.

On motorsport
Without motor racing, Pukekohe Park is a dead duck. Peter Dodd, Chatswood.

On masks
Surely the Prime Minister would have made a far greater impression if she had told the
photographer to mind their own business and worn her mask, setting an example to us all – especially the young? David Nalden, Epsom.

The Premium Debate

Job losses feared as new builds drop by 80%

Given 50 per cent of our GDP is derived from the construction sector (in one form on another), Jacinda and Labour's policies have well and truly wreaked havoc. The next six to 12 months are going to be rough. Jodi O.

This has snuck up on us like a 3000-car locomotive driven by a pink elephant. Welly G.

Reduce the cost of building materials, reduce cost of consents and council approvals,
penalise land bankers who are tying up land for profiteering and reduce land costs, reduce reliance on foreign materials foreign supplies and foreign products, reduce wasteful designs that waste time and materials, and increase apprenticeship builders' schemes. Glen C.

Construction - the whipping boys of the economy. Until this changes then we will always pay too much for housing. Who wants to be a long-term player in an industry where it is either boom or bust? The time it takes to build up the skill base to meet market demand is long. (Or the investment in a new plant to make materials). And then, when the market demand decreases, that skill base becomes very mobile. There is a worldwide shortage of skilled trade labour. We need to do what we can to smooth out the boom-bust, or history simply repeats. Kerry H.

New housing demand is down, and more people leaving NZ than coming in, but our political parties still want to destroy our heritage areas for infill housing? Something doesn't add up. Susan B.

That step was supported by both parties as a way of making urban land cheaper, one step to help cool our crazy house market. Hopefully this downturn in building will now mean less in fill housing, or at least more care to deliver desirable results. Susan H.