Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown started the first day of his term at the start of the week. Photo / Michael Craig
Waikato Regional Council's rates notice to residents dated September 1, 2022, had been posted only after the voting for the council elections.
Ratepayers would notice it had gone up a huge amount. A large amount is being spent on transport. The train service is not running regularly. Buses are running empty. There is a shortage of bus drivers.
Pest control has disappeared.
Why then have rates gone up so high?
Mano Manoharan, Hamilton
People first
Paula Bennett asked the question of who the better money-manager is between National and Labour. Her rather rudimentary and childish argument was completely blown out of the water by the well-researched and much better articulated article by Andrew Kirton. The fact remains that we had surpluses under the Clark governments, and deficits under the Key governments. The legacies of those times speak for themselves, and we should heed the warning of what has happened in the UK before we start dishing out tax cuts to our highest earners. As personal finance expert Suze Orman says "people first, then money, then things". We just need to make sure the people part includes all people, not just those in the highest tax bracket.
John Deyell, Auckland
Hats off to ASB
I have been highly critical of ASB and other banks closing many local branches which has had a huge detrimental impact on its very loyal, elderly and disabled and not computer-literate customers, but I must thank them for gifting the Mt Albert Grammar School farm to Mount Albert Grammar School with an estimated land value of $136,000,000. Perhaps other institutions could follow ASB's initiative.
In this regard, the Mount Albert Grammar School farm and all golf courses and racecourses and marinas should be immediately zoned as "public open space" but retain their current management and ownership and added to the Auckland City Council Regional Park Network. Perhaps as an incentive the Auckland City Council and central government could give them rates relief?
Bruce Tubb, Devonport
Knickers in a twist
A lot of farmers changed their blue knickers to red last election, so the story goes. That was a classic, "Be careful what you wish for", then.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupō
Upgrade in common sense
A few months ago AT did an "upgrade" by the motorway offramp on Te Atatū Peninsula. They put in a bus lane, two new bus stops and traffic lights where there used to be a free left turn. The results? On Wednesday afternoon at 4.30 there was a 400m-long queue waiting to turn left on to the peninsula. I drive past this site several times each day and in the past month I haven't seen one single person at the flash new bus stops.
Unfortunately, these expensive Utopian projects are common around Auckland. The people that designed this probably have all sorts of degrees in town planning etc but nothing is as valuable as a degree in common sense.
L Mallon, Te Atatū
Wayne's world
Auckland has suffered from poor governance at both local and central government level for too long. Now that the a new mayor has sorted out the leadership at a local level, 12 months shouldn't be too long to wait to see some much needed changes in central government that will produce sane and sensible outcomes for Auckland.
Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs
One man's mandate ...
Am I right to be concerned at Mayor Wayne Brown's supposition that he has a mandate to demand resignations from staff? Holding boards accountable to performance is understandable, but expecting heads to roll because he has a contrary plan seems to indicate despotism in the making.
How about he shows some leadership and takes these organisations in the direction he feels mandated to implement? It seems he needs his mates or acolytes because he lacks this skill. His idea that Eke Panuku should make a tidy profit is also concerning.
Brown is the mayor of a community, not a firm. If these organisations have delivered according to the social outcomes previously assigned to them, he has no mandate to demand persons to step aside. There are enough profiteering private development firms in Auckland. A mayor is elected to lead, not to dominate, and Brown's idea of a mandate is a bit fanciful.
Jason Conway, Green Bay
Arithmetic awry
Christopher Luxon does indeed sound confused over the effects of the latest proposals to reduce methane emissions. To "decimate" is to reduce by a tenth. To "decimate a fifth" of the national herd would be to reduce it by a tenth of a fifth, i.e. a 50th, or 2 per cent, not 20 per cent as he implies.
Sally Baughn, Hamilton
Police Minister in training
It seems the Police Minister is showing the same level of competence in his new portfolio as he did when he was the minister in charge of the response to Covid-19.
For his failure to understand what is wrong with photographing young people of any ethnicity or gender who have committed no offence, he needs to attend sensitivity education and if he does not understand what is wrong with retroactive legislation he needs to attend law 101. Ethics training might also be beneficial.
Rod Lyons, Kumeū
Oranga Tamariki
As a father and grandfather I cannot comprehend the loss of 5-year-old Malachi Subecz at the hands of those who were entrusted with his care, and those of us who elect the government that is responsible for creating and staffing the ministry responsible for vulnerable children.
The name Oranga Tamariki should be changed to the Ministry for Tamariki.
This would sheet home the joint responsibility of all of us for their care, not just Māori, which the use of te reo seems to unfairly accentuate.
Larry Tompkins, Waiuku
Our farmers
The single significant fact regarding New Zealand and global warming is that New Zealand's contribution to global warming is virtually insignificant, and it still would be even if the whole country was planted in pine trees.
In spite of this being the case, New Zealand farmers, who are reputed to be the cleanest food producers in the world, are facing costs to save the world from global warming, and we have an emission trading scheme that encourages and enables overseas investors to purchase food-producing land for financially rewarding carbon credits; something that was not meant to happen according to the Paris Agreement.
John Mackintosh, Whakatāne
Danny Hay dispute
Another disaster in NZ sport with Danny Hay v NZ Football.
Why is NZ sports management riven with so many disputes?
We have just had it with NZ Rugby and Foster. Then there is the ongoing investigation into NZ Cycling.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki
Hay ja vu
Enough is enough, NZF. Haven't we seen this situation before with Ivan Cleary and the NZ Warriors?
G Walker, Kawerau
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.