Quality of life for young families, more affordable homes and alternative career choices are also attractive options for many. Exchanging two hours of commute daily gives 100 extra hours of family time a year.
Friendlier neighbourhoods with less crime will be high on the list, too.
It would be interesting if economists, realtors and the statistics department could give us some numbers and locations around this growing trend.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour
We deserve this kind of a break
Regarding “Luxon holds firm on Tax Relief” (Herald on Sunday, November 12).
I really hope his first very urgent tax relief action, effective for the whole of the 2023/24 tax year, is to make the first $20,000 earned tax-free as has been enjoyed for decades in Australia; just like their amazing ban on the sale of fireworks we have yet to get too.
It will give every worker in low and middle incomes $2100 cash every year, so with both parents working, the family will get $4200 cash yearly from now on. As a side benefit the IRD will no longer need to chase the paper boys and girls for 10.5 per cent tax on their small earnings.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi
On the coalition
As the saga of forming a Government drags on and the corporate speak of the PM-in-waiting keeps rolling off his lips, the more it looks like the sausage roll-eating Chris won the election by ruling out NZ First on past coalition dramas.
Corporate Chris can’t even get to the starting line, ego dented by not making world appearance at Apec.
Writ of power should be extended to the previous government as this power of three seem more concerned with their own egos than running the country.
Sarron Bennett, Manurewa
NZ roading costs too steep
Interesting to read that India is able to build 341km of two-lane highway in the difficult mountainous Himalayas with numerous tunnels for $2.5 billion.
Imagine what it would cost in NZ?
The Auckland rail tunnel is only 3km long and is running at $5b and counting.
Why does everything cost so much in NZ?
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki
Wake up, Waiheke whingers
Those silly enough or stupid enough to buy a property on Waiheke Island must have realised that they could not drive, swim, kayak or easily sail there.
On this basis, they need to toughen up, stop moaning or move back to the mainland.
Bruce Tubb, Devonport
Time to review MMP
The recent attendance of both Labour and National deputies at the Pacific Islands Forum makes an absolute mockery of the MMP system.
This proves beyond doubt that politicians of all colours are only interested in the trappings of power, large sums of money and inducements such as free travel for life, and a gold-plated retirement pension which some receive when retiring from Parliament, be it in a majority party or otherwise. The increase of two additional MPs for this three-year term comes to mind as well.
Time to rethink MMP and get back to a system which is both practical and what the country can afford in the future.
Bruce Woodley, Birkenhead
Alternative view on Gaza
Vince West (Herald on Sunday, November 12) deplores the attacks by Israel on Palestinians in Gaza but who is really at fault here?
A few questions need to be asked and answers given to perhaps help dispel the fog of war.
Was the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Be’eri and a music festival an attack on designated military targets where 1400 civilians were killed and 240 others were taken hostage? Where have the billions in international aid to Gaza, and that includes Israeli aid, ended up? Could it have been spent on tunnels and weapons? Is the Israeli claim true that Hamas places weapons in the vicinity of hospitals and schools using civilians as human shields? Does Hamas use hostages as weapons of war in the current conflict?
Is it true that the Israelis constantly warn civilians of an intended attack on a designated military target by dropping leaflets in the area, thus trying to mitigate civilian deaths? Does Hamas prevent Palestinians leaving these areas?
Is Hamas a legitimate advocate for the Palestinian people in the pursuit of peace or is its sole aim as a terrorist group the total destruction of Israel and the Jewish people as outlined in its charter?
Will answers to these questions lead us to believe Israel has a legitimate right to defend itself and that Hamas is at the root of the problem of civilian casualties?
Bernard Walker, Pāpāmoa
Grassroots solution to gangs
A lot of discussion has recently been had about the proposed banning of gang patches in public, which will most likely drive the gangs’ dubious operations deeper underground, a bit like the Italian mafia, where the root cause of gangdom has never been fully addressed either.
Past political parties have never truly managed to cure our society of these engine rooms of negativity. Nothing truly constructive to combat gang problems was ever achieved.
Many may well argue this is what we can expect from a society, where the super-wealthy live in well-secured gated properties, the middle class have enough on their plate with careers and rising costs, while the lowest-income earners quite frankly don’t have the luxury of time to even contemplate our societal problems and threats.
I agree with many experts’ doubts on whether banning of gang insignia and recognition will work. We have dropped the ball on investigating and addressing the root causes of this sad gang-belonging culture to create a more humane society, where young, lost and desolate individuals can be part of a “normal, respectful” culture.
The root causes are well known, so politicians’ main task would be to find and nurture all existing and potential gang participants. Isolate the problem, address it and let all of us look forward to a more fully-functioning society.
Surely, it can’t be that hard to let one of our many existing government agencies deal with this present nightmarish group of creeps. Wouldn’t it be nice?
Rene Blezer, Taupō
