Burning waste
Karl van der Water (Letters, October 16) suggests that a waste-to-energy plant, like the scheme envisaged for Meremere in the 1990s, would be a better way of dealing with Auckland's waste than the proposed Dome Valley landfill. I disagree.
I studied the proposed Meremere plant in detail at the time. I identified four fundamental flaws with that ill-conceived scheme. The RMA did its job of effectively preventing a white elephant being built.
Waste-to-energy plants are expensive. To do a good, clean job of destroying all contaminants in waste is very difficult. To make money from co-products is almost impossible. To get a useful energy output requires a good energy input requiring plastics, paper, cardboard and green waste to be burned rather than recycled.
In contrast, burying waste remaining after extraction of recyclables in a well-engineered landfill is a sensible solution for a low population density country.
The Dome Valley landfill proposal will soon be subject to public scrutiny. That will give the
opportunity for the principled opponents of the scheme to use the RMA to ensure that consent is only granted on conditions of excellent environmental performance; including landfill gas capture, leachate capture and processing, etc.
Steve Goldthorpe, Warkworth.
Informed choice
While there is the usual moan about the poor turnout for the local body elections, the method of voting gets most of the blame.
As I read through the booklet about each candidate I found every one had the same story. They had - in their own words - all done great things. They were all passionate about doing their best for the city. None mentioned anything specific. With everyone the same, making a choice was difficult, if not useless. Why bother? All the power is in the hands of the unelected CCOs.
I would have liked to have someone say where they stood on issues such as the Dominion Rd tramway, Chamberlain and Eden parks, stopping CCO bosses rewarding themselves with bonuses, etc. I got no further information in my letterbox nor do I have time to research each candidate online.
As for making voting easy, why not have collection boxes in supermarkets or such easily accessible places where people regularly go? There were booths there to enrol so why not for dropping off voting papers?
I have a Post Shop nearby so I voted but I felt little better than a blind man ticking boxes at random since I know so little of what my choices will do.
P Belsham, Mt Albert.
Cap Lotto
Thank goodness the Lotto jackpot was struck this week. It is irresponsible to let it keep growing until it hits $50 million.
Some businesses may not notice a decline in trade when it gets high but those in the food industry, especially growers of fresh produce, certainly feel the effects of lower values at the markets because this is the first commodity which suffers from reduced purchasing.
For example, the household can't take money from the rent, power or petrol kitty; these bills are rigid, but they can skimp on food to buy an extra Lotto ticket or two, and they do.
You only have to notice how the millions add on more rapidly when the jackpot gets to $30m-plus, as opposed to under $10m, to realise how spending on Lotto gets more frantic.
To acknowledge and protect families that can't curb their gambling on Lotto tickets and avoid this waste of cash going to a dream rather than necessities, the Lotto maximum should be set at $20m, not $50m.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
Low inflation
The economics commentators say inflation at 1.5 per cent is too low and below the midpoint of the target. Something needs to be done. Maybe just adjust the target. The target before was 0 to 3 per cent so the current rate would be bang on. We don't have to stick with Michael Cullen's revision 17 years ago.
Last millennium, prices rose 1000 times. This millennium, with price stability, the plan is consumer prices will rise a billion times. Asset prices are expected to rise a billion times faster than that.
It's madness to attempt control of tradable prices. We might consider controlling the non-tradable prices which rose 3.2 per cent, already high.
Last week the fiscal surplus was reported. More nonsense spouted. There's little reason to measure this. It has no consequence for the economic performance of a country with a fiat currency. The Government's debt is denominated in NZD. If that debt is a big problem, the Government can pay it off next week. It can print off as many NZ dollars as it likes. The one that controls us and is a worry is the household debt.
Bill Mackey, Bayswater.
World rugby
Regarding the debate over whether rugby is a sport worthy of world championship status, rugby has had eight world final contests, so I have compared rugby's eight to football's last eight.
Eight finals means 16 possible finalists. Over the last eight contests, football had 10 different finalists, a 5:8 ratio. A healthy, worldwide sport.
But in all those eight finals, rugby can count only five finalists. Only five out of 16 possible, a less than 1:3 ratio. Clearly, big frogs in a small pond, and not a valid world champs.
Japan needs to win this one for the good of rugby. If the All Blacks win yet again, the proof of "big frog in a small pond" accusation destroys rugby's global credibility.
John Elliott, Hamilton.
Sparkly menace
Glitter ceilings were all the rage in the 70s and 80s until people found out the paint mixture included asbestos and to remove them - as many amateurs unknowingly attempted to do - was putting one's life at risk.
Many of these ceilings still exist and pose a health risk for their occupants far greater than P labs.
To make matters worse, many affected properties were bought by unsuspecting new immigrant investors for renting. The only checks that would ensure their removal of the offending "popcorn ceiling" was by property managers who were themselves new immigrants unaware of the health hazard such houses posed.
The lives of many innocent renters may now be in the hands of real estate agents and politicians who are deemed, rightly or wrongly, the less trustworthy members of our society.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Short & sweet
On Kurds
Andrew Tichbon is right on the money. The Kurds should have their own state, as should Palestine. S P McMonagle, Greenhithe.
On footpaths
Will the newly elected council complete a review of paths and constructively improve this Auckland commodity? Evelyn Kaye Gilbert, Takapuna.
On Ardern
Those who seem to believe in bestowing immunity from criticism upon our current PM on account of her gender are themselves indulging in the sexism they suspect in others. Jane Margaret Livingstone, Remuera.
On insurance
Cliff Ginders suggests medical insurance should be mandatory for visitors to New Zealand. By the same token, medical insurance should be mandatory for all Kiwis travelling abroad. Jonathan Jepson, Torbay.
On housing
The only way we will house all of the people is with low-cost prefabs and stop immigration for a period of time to allow us to house our own people. Tom O'Toole, Taumarunui.
On Saville
What is the point of Andrew Saville presenting the TV1 Sports News at a pedestrian crossing in Japan when other rugby commentators have been there since the start? Bruce Tubb, Belmont.
On polls
A government's popularity on the Colmar Brunton poll is inversely proportional to the price of petrol. Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
On Brexit
Boris de Pfeffel Johnson's Brexit leaves Northern Ireland both in the EU and in the UK. Like Schroedinger's cat - alive and dead until you open the box and look. Dennis N Horne, Howick.
