A typical Auckland City scene on the last day of the latest level 3 lockdown. Photo / Hayden Woodward
The notion of "lockdown fatigue" is being promoted at present. What does it mean? At one level it is annoyance at the personal things we must do to collectively keep ourselves safe from the virus - masks, social distancing, reduced social life. These are things that
have become part of our daily lives and to say we are tired of them is like saying we are tired of brushing our teeth or getting out of bed. We do them because we have a mind to look after ourselves.
The wider effects of lockdown, loss of employment and income and the squeeze on businesses are less able to be accepted as routine. These effects of our response to the virus threat are misnamed as "lockdown fatigue". They would be better named as "Covid fatigue". Covid is the enemy, not lockdown. The virus is waiting for its chance and will be the beneficiary if we become so weary that we let our guard down.
Ian Hassall, Epsom.
With Covid genome testing accuracy becoming better at identifying infection sequences, anyone who breaches the rules - such as a person escaping MIQ to visit a girlfriend or buy booze, and some innocent person is infected who subsequently dies - the charge of manslaughter should apply.
Sure, it's only a maximum of eight years but a conviction and even a minimal penalty is sure to get their attention.
Adrian Wilson, Northcote.
David Seymour (NZ Herald, March 8) started off logically and, as usual, drifted off to attack the Government. He states that New Zealanders are not prepared to make sacrifices; what does he think they have done during the level 4 lockdown?
One thing he left out was that the Taiwanese, as a whole, were 100 per cent behind the government in everything they did and put politics aside, unlike our lot.
Taiwan is under a constant state of alert due to potential attack from China, therefore, their citizens react immediately to any type of emergency, as they did with Sars.
As for masks, Taiwan, China and Japan all wear masks as a matter of principle when they have colds or in the event there is a flu epidemic. Masks are a common sight in these countries. We're not used to it but I have noticed it is becoming more common.
Seymour needs to stop politicking and work with the Government.
Act has always been self-serving, hopefully he can break the mould.
Tom O'Toole, Taumarunui.
We all need to be aware of the increasing prevalence of dementia (NZ Herald, March 8).
I have experienced it firsthand for six years with my late mother who had vascular dementia and spent just over two years in a rest home and later in their hospital wing.
I have my aunty with dementia in a rest home at present.
Grey Power advocates getting family members' legal affairs sorted while they are still capable and have the mental capacity to read and understand legal documents.
If you don't have their Powers of Attorney, both care and financial, in place before your family member becomes mentally incapacitated, you will need to go to your nearest District Court where you have a long process.
Always treat your family member normally and continue to visit them on their journey with dementia. It can be and is upsetting at times, but stay strong so that you can support your family member. Grey Power supports and advocates for Alzheimers New Zealand and Dementia New Zealand.
Mate Marinovich, Oratia.
It's a bit rich that the senior chairs of major NZX companies, the "group of five" as Fran O'Sullivan calls them (NZ Herald, March 5), are calling for greater transparency from the government on plans to deal with the Covid crisis.
Where has there ever been transparency from big business on the many crises facing society?
Where is their transparency on inequality (excessive CEO salaries, consistent lobbying against a living wage), or their transparency on workplace bullying (one in 10 workers feel harassed or bullied in the workplace), or their transparency on fair trade and ethical sourcing in the supply chain, or their transparency on resource depletion, deforestation, chemical spills, plastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions or strategies to address climate change?
I suspect this "group of five" are just keen to get back to "business as usual".
Someone needs to tell them business as usual is what got us into this mess and things have to change. So far big business has shown a lot of lip service but very little willingness to drive the real changes necessary for a sustainable future.
Transparency please.
Paul Judge, Hamilton.
So a selection of hacks from NZ boardrooms want to be part of the Government's inner sanctum for decision-making for NZ's future (NZ Herald, March 5). Yeah, nah.
Thanks for the offer but your influence on government was voted out with the demise of National Party government.
It will take many decades to bury that mess of indiscriminate business-led economic policy.
The Covid 19 emergency is an excellent opportunity for the Government to reset plans for the future without the suits/twinsets in the room.
Stewart Halliwell, Campbells Beach.
On Wednesday, Auckland Airport's (AIAL) share price was $7.32. Auckland Council's 18 per cent shareholding was that day worth $1.95 billion.
Today (March 5), those shares dived to $7.08.
Dividends? None have been paid since October, 2019. Their future is uncertain.
No consultation has been allowed for in the Council's 10-year Budget as to whether or not these depreciating assets are worth keeping.
Instead, listed on Page 564 of the "supporting information" document are countless parks and community facilities declared surplus for a growing population, but valued at $190m.
Submissions to the 2021-2031 Budget close on Monday, March 22.
Jan O'Connor, Hauraki.
We have come to a crossroads in Auckland and New Zealand's development. Ratepayers deserve adequate housing, clean water and safe, clean beaches. These are our top priorities and councils should be providing them.
If rates increases were pegged to 2 per cent and councils forced to pay reductions for any excess out of their own pay e.g. a 10 per cent rates increase would mean 8 per cent must be found from council budgets or from staff incomes from the mayor down, we would soon find economies being made.
It is so easy to spend other people's money but not so inviting to spend our own.
Stella Hall, Henderson.
The rapaciousness of Auckland Council is now breathtaking. With 3000 staff on more than $100,000 per year, their primary focus has become growth of money generation. The terrible effects of parks sell-offs won't be felt by wealthy council staff, they'll have passed on. Their latest shameless brainwave is to urban-rate Kumeu, more manifest greed.
The Auckland Council has become a hydra, a dangerous creature with many snakeheads. Is there any hope of central government stepping in, as Washington eventually did, to legally limit California's rocketing annual property tax hikes? Please, Wellington, Auckland needs an annual rates hike cap equal to the year's inflation percentage. Currently Auckland Council just thinks of a number between 3 and 23. If you don't pay up, they can sell your house.
Jim Carlyle, Te Atatū Peninsula.
In the recent tsunami alert, (and any future such alerts), people in coastal areas are told to evacuate to higher ground. Those people who used cars to evacuate were often in grid-lock as a video clip on TV news on Friday evening showed. In that clip, all the cars were using the left lane, while the other lane was left bare for traffic coming the other way. Usually very sensible, but in such an emergency there are several coastal towns where it could quickly be made possible for evacuating traffic to use all available lanes as there should not be traffic heading into the danger zone.
It would just require police to block and turn around any traffic heading in the wrong direction. They have had plenty of practice lately with border restrictions between Covid-19 level 3 and 2 borders. Such action would clear coastal traffic to higher ground at least twice as quickly as single-lane traffic.
Greg Hawkins, Farm Cove.
It's time to stop trucks at Papakura and transfer their containers by rail to the city for distribution, unless their exhaust noise and engine braking is banned within the city motorway system.
It is not fair on families with young children, and people on shift work to have their rest disrupted. How they pass Transport COF needs to be investigated.
Road vibration from the bigger rigs is disturbing and, with the noise and exhaust pollution, it appears that nobody gives a damn.
Ellis Fell, Hillsborough.
A new bridge across the Auckland harbour would cost $3 billion; a tunnel, $8b.
The well-designed bridge would add much-needed character to Auckland's landscape (think Sydney, San Francisco); a tunnel would add none.
The drain on ratepayers' pockets alone from the cost of a tunnel would make any thinking responsible ratepayers representative's decision an easy one.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
On positives
What a pleasure to read two constructive letters (NZ Herald, March 5): Peter Simpson on Covid political point-scoring and particularly Dennis Fitzgerald on pupils' names. Being positive, and relaxed really helps the world go round. M Lamb, Botany Downs.
On Destiny
Haven't we seen enough damage by the evangelical crowd from America without having to put up with sort of non-scientific nonsense her? They are risking lives of gullible people. Ian MacGregor, Forrest Hill.
I too have a Christian faith, and I believe it is irresponsible to encourage people to abandon the epidemiological evidence gained by so much hard medical work over centuries. Dr Harold Coop, Remuera.
On interpreter
I find it unconscionable that New Zealand will not take in and grant an Afghani interpreter, Nowroz Ali, a visa for residence here. Grant him a visa, for pity's sake. Chris Blenkinsopp, Beach Haven.
On Philip
We do wish Prince Philip well and a speedy recovery. It would be nice if he got to 100, so he could get a letter from the Queen. Richard Alspach, Dargaville.
On Seymour
David Seymour, the great libertarian, seems to be calling for mass electronic surveillance of Kiwis (NZ Herald, March 8). It's hard to take him seriously. Rowan Hill, Mt Eden.
On scripture
I enjoy the text of the day - if we all followed these simple messages what a wonderful peaceful, happy world we would all have. Elizabeth Williams, Hillcrest.
A front-end loader slammed into a Martinborough café as the driver attempted to rob an ATM. Video / TVNZ