Letters: Landfill or water storage, Martin Marinovich, rates increases and the Erebus memorial

Plans for a large landfill at Dome Valley has one writer pondering whether we have our priorities right. Photo / Kenny Rodger, file

Opinion

Letter of the week: Don Lewis, Hobsonville Point

From my elemental understanding, I submit that the basic site requirements necessary for a landfill would equally suit a water storage reservoir. That is, a valley with an impermeable clay sub-base to prevent toxic leachate from contaminating natural groundwater tables.
Assuming that the proposed Dome Valley landfill site has been selected with an existing impermeable clay substrate, the business case for the two options are remarkably different;
The landfill option would have a life expectancy of 20 or so years, with the local roads and community suffering hundreds of truck movements daily. Once the landfill is filled and capped, the site will require monitoring of gas and leachate discharges, not to mention overall site remediation.
A water storage dam would have a life expectancy of 50-100 years plus and, apart from the initial construction, is filled for free via its natural catchment. Offtake is continually replenished, while the value of the water resource increases as demand and climate cycles dictate.
Local employment would be comparable but only the dam option could sprout eco-tourism as per the Waitākere Ranges.
The only critical question is: Does it rain in the Dome Valley? I think it probably does. Auckland needs clean potable water over burying our valuable waste resources.

Killer and victim

I was shocked to read that Martin Marinovich was jailed for life for killing his mother (Weekend Herald, May 30). After reading his life story I think a great injustice was done.
That poor man has already been in prison his whole life; looking after his mum without any help and living on one income from his mother's sickness benefit.
I believe there was not even money for repairs to a broken toilet. Where was his family? Some I believe, lived on the same property. Why did they not have help from Winz?
And then the fact that his father was sent to Canada by the Catholic Church, I have a fair idea what happened there.
Why was she not in a rest home? Then this would have never happened.
Martin even told his neighbour that he could not cope anymore, but nobody listened.
This could all have been avoided had there been more help from family and authorities. His mother's brother could only talk about the emotional harm he had suffered. What about that poor man who suffered his whole life and is now put away in jail because he could not take it anymore and in the end just snapped? It is so sad and unfair. Shame on everybody who should have been there for him.
Geraldine Van de Water, Hobsonville

Economic success

"Immigration has been a huge driver of NZ's economic success for the past decade," writes Liam Dann (Weekend Herald, May 30).
Tell that to the unemployed, those trying to buy their first home, those stuck in traffic, those waiting for an operation and closed school rolls.
Bruce Tubb, Belmont.

Saving grace

Saving in the good times to cover the bad times was the commonsense approach that existed in New Zealand business right up until the arrival of Muldoon.
The current approach to Covid-19 therefore of "borrow and hope" will sound familiar to many New Zealanders living in the Muldoon era.
I just hope the end result will not be the same.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.

At any rate

As I read the article by Bernard Orsman (Weekend Herald, May 30) it strikes me that our council doesn't care about Aucklanders. I seriously thought one of the options the council would consider would be a 0 per cent rate increase.
While this will require very, very substantial and long-reaching changes to the way council operates (stopping or not starting projects and closing many council activities or services) isn't that's what's required to assist ratepayers getting through this next period in their lives?
Very few, if any, ratepayers will receive wage increases over the next short period of time so how can they afford to pay more to council?
However, our council just takes; we might as well give them access to our bank accounts - at least this will save money on invoicing and rate demands.
Rob McKnight, Greenlane

Can we build it?

Ever since my father built a carport out of railway sleepers and a tarpaulin for the roof
one has believed that a Kiwi was a natural with a hammer and saw.
Despite Newton's law of gravity, the car remained unharmed for the duration of its time in the shed.
Our fame as the number eight wire country of the universe was fast disappearing down the dunny under the restrictive laws imposed. Now those would-be chippies can come out of the shadows and we will once again hear the sounds of hammering and sawing in the weekends, rather than nodding off in front of the TV.
Reg Dempster, Albany.

Bravery and honesty

Covid-19 has been a severe test of governments, their leaders and their populations.
In such times disinformation and spin are tempting tools for repressive, or dishonest or incompetent administrations, causing division and mistrust in their populations. Refreshingly, we have avoided this scenario and with few exceptions, have met the challenge of Covid-19 bravely, honestly and factually, kindly and resolutely.
This gives me great hope that we can continue this approach for the election debates and process and, no matter which party finally governs, into the future to deal with the great issues of our times, of which, Covid-19 was probably just a warning shot across our bows.
Jeremy Dunningham, Napier.

Erebus failure

From Tom Dillane's article (Weekend Herald, May 30), it seems very clear that the Ministry of Culture and Heritage will need to find a new site for the proposed Erebus Memorial.
They were told in 2018 that the Dove-Myer Robinson Park site was wrong. They ignored that advice. They buried that report. Instead, they purchased the steel, they engaged consultants and wasted a million dollars in the process. All to hit a deadline that they themselves admit was ambitious.
Had the Ministry taken the advice of their experts, asked the community or even listened to the feedback from the Erebus families themselves, they would not be in this position.
The Ministry needs to call time on Dove-Myer Robinson Park and get on with finding a new, more appropriate site.
Waiting a further two months, only to be told no by the local board is not something the Erebus families deserve. Especially when the ministry knew this outcome was likely in August 2018.
Jo Malcolm, Parnell.

A quick word

While I do not wish for those who deserve their pay to be penalised, I do have to ask if the 85 on Auckland Council are actually worth their $250000 a year income. What is it they do to earn that? R Cluley, Mt Roskill.

How reassuring that your business columnist, Fran O'Sullivan, was able to become qualified in public health during lockdown (Weekend Herald, May 30) and is now able to join Winston Peters and give the Prime Minister expert advice. Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.

I agree 100 per cent with your editorial - we have been extremely lucky. Andrew Montgomery, Remuera.

Labour says it knows the pain of small businesses. Has any caucus member ever filled out a GST return? Tony Hopkinson, Tauranga.

Outside of peak hours around Auckland on the weekends, early mornings and evenings there are hundreds and hundreds of empty buses or with, perhaps, just one or two passengers. I guess the agencies are asleep at the wheel. Denis Orme, Paihia.

I wonder if the PM realises that many of her obedient team of five million are now breaking the rules because they've had enough? Colin Nicholls, Mt Eden.

A number of the Queens Birthday honours went to people who work in the community. Were any of them supermarket workers who worked tirelessly through the Covid-19 lockdown, or have they been quickly forgotten? Jim Stanborough, St Johns.

There never was "The American Dream". It was curated by the rich and powerful to protect their privilege and wealth. C Bennett, Kohimarama.

As we have seen great success in easing out the virus threat, we must now address easing out the unemployment threat, which is real, with the same determination. Weekly payouts is not the same as retaining jobs. Frank Olsson, Freemans Bay.

From the safety of the White House bunker, Trump has been lecturing the state governors about a "need to dominate". Dictators dominate. Presidents are expected to lead. Jeanette Grant, Mt Eden.

I think now is the time to arm our police officers. Criminals are getting increasingly dangerous. Our police want to go home to their families too. Darren Masters, Panmure.

Arming the New Zealand Police will definitely lead to more deaths and police brutality. History clearly demonstrates the danger of armed state authorities. Mark Lewis-Wilson, Mangonui.

Legalising cannabis will not reduce illegal growing of it, as buyer demand for cheap (no taxes paid) stronger (no quality restrictions) cannabis will still be there. Bruce Turner, Cambridge.

Covid-19 has been widely spread by people who don't know they're infected. Another week or two will make no strategic difference to the economy, but the Dunning-Kruger effect could put us back to square one. Dennis N Horne, Howick.