Cost of closures
Last week’s announcement of the closure of mills at Karioi and Tangiwai signalled the end of employment for more than 200 workers. This means that the working heart of two communities will lose their skilled workers, many of whom have worked in the mills for 15 to 20 years.
They have established themselves and brought up their families in the districts around the mills. Some will stay and seek other work; some will look for help from the Ministry of Social Development, others may move to Australia. The mills will stand idle; schools will lose pupils, shops will close, local sports teams, church congregations and other community activities will suffer.
This is a commercial closure, brought about by the crippling cost of electricity. It has become uneconomic to run the operations and employ the workers. Our Government has not been eager to intervene, although there have been appeals to Energy Minister Simeon Brown.
This is a matter of regional and consequently national importance. We need to approach the issue in human terms; considering first the lives of New Zealanders in the regions.
There are not wide opportunities for work in the districts surrounding the mills, and surely this insecurity for a section of our population is a matter of economic and social concern, which should be addressed without delay.
Clearly, this is a case for practical assistance from central government.
Diana Burslem, Epsom.
Bridge obstacles
I recall the 1974 version of a Meola Reef harbour crossing from Pt Chevalier to Kauri Point mentioned by correspondent Graeme Easte (NZ Herald, September 16). The obvious question was: once the crossing reaches Birkenhead, then what?
The answer was revealed when someone with no topographical knowledge of Birkenhead had drawn a line on a map. My parents had raised their eyebrows as the line went straight through their house, traversed a deep gully to Verrans Corner, then disappeared – still a long way from a major thoroughfare.
The cost of the crossing may, arguably, be cheaper than a tunnel, but what about the bit afterwards?
Peter Ellwood, Beach Haven.
Coast unclear
Before spending lots of money “saving the coast”, Auckland Council needs to realise the sea level is going to rise several metres and nobody knows how quickly – it depends on tipping points not fully understood. It rose very rapidly 14,000 years ago.
In the long term, the only sensible option is managed retreat. I suggest building modest housing in a safe place and offering it on a take-it-or-leave-it basis to those affected, for lifetime use.
Climate scientists have been warning for 30 years what was going to happen, yet houses on the coast still change hands for millions. Ratepayers and taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to compensate wealthy people for financial losses of their own making.
Dennis Horne, Howick.
Need for speed
Women’s rugby is better to watch than men’s, being thrill-a-minute, non-stop action from start to finish, and the reason is simple. In the England v Black Ferns game, there was not one scrum reset – and that sped the game up no end.
Rugby crowds are falling away and rugby league is taking up the slack for that very reason. It will continue to do so until the old-school rugby fogeys get their heads out of the sand and decree one scrum only for any forward pass or knock-on and/or whichever half of the scrum hits the dirt first, the ball goes immediately to the opposing side. Pure and simple.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Getaway glitch
It’s no surprise that crime in Auckland’s CBD has reduced. Even if criminals could work out how to get there, with all the roadworks and changes, there is nowhere to park.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
