Letters: Education, road works, water leaks, Trumpets and Australian evictions

'Only families with children in private schools, religious schools or those who can afford private tuition will be able to maintain their inheritance of Western culture.' Photo / Mark Mitchell

Class divide

The dumbing down of the education system by delaying the introduction to students of Latin, classics, chemistry and physics has important implications for future equality in New Zealand.
All students have the right to have their minds "stretched" at school.
Those families with children in private schools, religious schools or those who can afford private tuition will be able to maintain their inheritance of the culture, and reap the benefits, of what is referred to as "Western civilisation".
On the other hand, families who combine reliance on state education with a failure to recognise the importance of a determined parental and pupil effort, whether academic or technical, will have difficulty in breaking the generational cycle of deprivation.
We now have a multi-cultural society. Looking at the differing values given to education in each culture, and the lack of government support to families for the peripheral costs of their children being at school, I fear a dystopian future.
John Strevens, Remuera.

Stop, go works

Just prior to Christmas, NZTA gave us two lanes each way from Hampton Downs to Te Kauwhata and vice versa, only again to close it to one lane each way for six weeks to re-surface.
Then, on February 15, they gave the public an open day to run, walk, cycle the New Huntly piece of the Expressway, celebrating its opening.
Yep, still not open and we are now in March.
Next will be the close down of lanes from Papakura to Takanini again, so as they can finish the road build and re-surface.
NZTA please, get these projects finished
Allen Grainger, Pokeno.

Down the drain

On February 20, I reported a water leak seeping through a concrete driveway to Watercare. The following day, I received a reply say someone would attend within 1-3 days. Someone did attend but seemed confused about to do.
The next day, two Watercare vehicles turned up, spray painted marks on the driveway, drilled five holes in the concrete then said another team would do the repair.
The holes in the driveway have allowed the water to flow freely down the drive. They say that they prioritise this repair work but it's now been leaking for 14 days.
The Watercare website states the normal residential supply is 15 litres per minute. My rough estimate of water loss to date is: 15l x 60 mins = 900l per hour; 900l x 24 hrs = 21,600l per day; 21,600l x 14 days = 302,400 litres so far.
It seems Watercare doesn't care
Douglas Richard Brown, Devonport.

Trumpet blow

I am a postman on Great Barrier and, on a hot dusty afternoon, I decided to buy a boysenberry Trumpet. I went to the store and took a purple Trumpet from the freezer. Taking my first bite I realised something was wrong and, looking more closely at the wrapper, discovered it was a vegan Trumpet. Some kind of frozen watery purple fake milk. Naturally, I threw it out the window.
I guess there are some very disillusioned ants in the bush on Awana Rd. No one thinks of the ants.
If you are going to make something that tastes like this put it in a brown wrapper. Don't disguise it as a real Trumpet. In fact there should be a brown freezer for crappy fake stuff.
I just want to warn your readers there will be vegan Trumpets at a dairy near you. As for me, I'll be okay. I've started drinking again, water mainly. I'm getting counselling, apparently I have to learn to trust again.
I suspect "vegan Trumpet" will come to mean a moment of great disappointment in the common vernacular.
Mike Scott, Great Barrier Island.

Australian influence

Your correspondent Greg Adamson trots out the well-worn "if you don't like it here, go home" sentiment which ignores so much about the stories of people caught up in the draconian and at times plainly inhumane treatment being meted out to New Zealand citizens living in Australia. New Zealanders living in Australia cannot easily become Australian citizens and must spend thousands to apply.
As an Australian happily living in NZ for many years, I have had full access to the health and welfare system here plus a free tertiary education, can vote, could become a Member of Parliament and have been appointed as a Justice of the Peace. None of these benefits or opportunities can be accessed by NZ citizens living in Australia.
I absolutely accept that there are a few New Zealanders who deserve to be deported but it is the cases of people deemed to be New Zealanders who have never set foot here or NZers who were taken to Australia as babies or who have no family links here that I particularly feel for. People who spent most of their childhood and all their adult life in Australia have been formed by Australian society and its values, and I think people such as this correspondent are turning a blind eye to this influence.
I urge people to exercise more of Jacinda's kindness in their thinking and attitudes to others.
Jill Hobden, Hamilton.

Bondi Kiwis

The real or pretended unhappiness of New Zealanders concerning the ongoing relocation of law-breakers in Australia is completely understandable. These measures are indeed quite extreme.
They are perhaps more understandable, though not more acceptable, when viewed in the light of the serious abuse of Australian hospitality carried on by New Zealanders around the middle of last century.
On any given day, Bondi Beach was teeming with Kiwis luxuriating in the very generous benefit and enjoying those superior Aussie beers.
Jobs were, incidentally, very plentiful.
It has taken a long time but the resentment has been building and now it has simply overflowed.
Graham Steenson, Whakatāne.

Basic budgeting

I am writing in support of Dylan Tipene (NZ Herald, March 4), who wrote: "We don't need to raise benefits, we need to reinforce sound budgeting."
I realise that everyone's circumstances are different, but I raised three children on the domestic purposes benefit, and fed them adequately, I think, while buying the basic essentials he suggests, with no takeaways, no bottled drinks and nothing else unessential to a basic diet.
By buying things when they are "on special", e.g. butter for $5 instead of $6.80 in my local supermarket today, we have scraped through, and anyone can do that.
Margaret Bongard, Grey Lynn.

Transit lanes

I have had a similar experience to Gerald Freeman (NZ Herald, March 4) while making an early morning visit in 2019 to one of the medical clinics on that stretch of Remuera Rd.
I agree with the intent of the law regarding transit lane use, which is to improve traffic flow during rush hours.
However, when I was charged with being in the T3 lane for more than 50m, I pleaded not guilty and chose to defend myself in court as I felt that I had reasonable justification to be in that lane for more than 50m due to my personal situation that morning.
I argued that I was still complying with the spirit of the law, driving safely and not obstructing traffic flow in the T3 lane (i.e. applying a safe, common sense approach), but I was still found guilty .
Several Herald articles during 2019 clarified why AT doesn't apply common sense when implementing this law, but instead simply sticks to the letter of the law. These transit lanes make approximately $1 million per month for AT.
I suspect AT's priority is not to focus on safety or good driving, but rather to milk this golden cash cow for all it's worth.
Simon Twigden, Kohimarama.

Bus terminal

I agree with Gillian Dance (NZ Herald, March 3). How about moving the bus terminal to the southern entry to Britomart Transport Centre - where it would also be convenient to the lifts in Britomart for passengers to use public transport/suburban trains), convenient for taxis dropping off/picking up passengers, close to bus routes/public transport - or perhaps front of Grand Mercure Hotel on Customs St?
Either of these two options would be far more convenient in much nicer settings than where it currently is at back of SkyCity.
Perhaps it would be a great idea if the mayor and some of the councillors took a trip to Sydney or Melbourne to see how it is done. In Sydney, they arrive/depart from Central Railway Station.
Katherine Scott, Epsom.

Short & sweet

On cheques

A huge well done to Hunua MP Andrew Bayly for his petition to make government agencies continue to accept cheques. For the elderly, the non-tech savvy, and those unable to afford the hardware, this will be of great benefit. Ross Nielsen, Half Moon Bay.

On trees

We have bodies who take large monies from us in the form of rates and taxes. Some spend it to plant trees, others to cut them down. Who has chosen the right path for the future of our shared world? Alec Hill, Devonport.

On priorities

So, being fiscally responsible means paying $220 million for a sports stadium that may be used a couple of times each week and $10 million to encourage tourists from Australia while homeless people sleep on the streets and our planet burns? Bruce Ross, Auckland Central.

On Covid-19

The worldwide economic slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic is an historic chance to examine our obsession with endless economic growth, moderate the risks associated with globalisation and slow down our hectic lives. Dushko Bogunovich, Pt Chevalier.

Covid-19 has further confirmed how over-reliant we are on other countries to sustain our economy. It's about time we go back to being more self-sufficient. Ashton Ledger, Sunnybrook.

Isn't it amazing that there have been no reported cases of people from North Korea having the virus. Makes you wonder doesn't it? David Cave, Mt Roskill.

On cyclists

It's disingenuous to state cyclists are not contributing to global warming but cars are. The vast majority of cyclists would still own and use a car. Either for shopping, family travel, or for using on wet days at the very least. Jeff Berge, Takanini.