Three Waters has been a flashpoint for this Government and now National has released its policy. Photo / Paul Taylor, File
Don’t squander our chance
No doubt we will be subjected to political manoeuvring by all parties in regard to Three Waters. The most important fact is that the subject is now on the table. It should be acknowledged that the Government recognised there was a problem years before the current disasters and tried to do something. There has been opposition to Three Waters mainly because of seemed loss of control by councils and co-governance. National’s plan of all care but no responsibility will fail because it is not bold enough and does not address cost. Labour’s, on the other hand, has too much of the Big Brother approach and needs to be a more collective agreement. We have an opportunity let’s not squander it. Reg Dempster, Albany.
A gut issue
Now National has released its water-reform proposals, it confirms the dilemma that will confront electors in October. On one hand, those that believe passionately in local control have been given a sensible and understandable pathway to retain control while delivering affordable solutions. On the other, those ratepayers that have been served by incompetent councillors for years and who have not made the water investments required. They want the Government to fund a bureaucratic monolith to take the problem away and end their nightmare. Water reform is a gut issue, and when voters make gut decisions, it is for the comprehensible solution that costs the least money and is likely to deliver the best outcome without ongoing political baggage like co-governance. Chris Hipkins, Kieran McAnulty (vice Nanaia Mahuta) and Three Waters have been given an early shower. Fred Wilson, Narrow Neck.
Cold feet
Who in National got cold feet over Three Waters? After a few years of vociferous opposition and gearing their mates up to drive their tractors to town to protest about it, we have Christopher Luxon announcing a watered-down (pardon the pun) version of the same legislation. At least Labour’s position has been consistent throughout. John Capener, Kawerau.
A cop-out
Matthew Hooton (NZ Herald, February 24) claims “it’s too late to avoid climate change — now we have to adapt”. Hooton apparently imagines that will cope with climate change. The lesson of major rain events in recent years — culminating in Cyclone Gabrielle — is that exponential climate change has shifted from the future to here and now. Yes, we must adapt but adaptation has been seized on by the same people who spent 40 years in denial and political obstruction. They are driven by a desire to maintain our destructive consumption-based economic model that is destroying the planet — and they see adaptation as the means now that the realities of climate change are here for all to see. It also has the benefit for many that it enables blame to be targeted at governments — central and local — for their failures. Our legacy threatens our grandchildren’s world in a way we don’t want to imagine. Hooton’s solution is a cop-out. It uses the obvious — the need for adaptation — as a justification for doing nothing about the cause. Geoff Prickett, Waikanae.
Whangārei highway
After the recent weather events it is time the Government dusted off the planned Warkworth-Whangārei motorway. It is ridiculous when the only arterial road between Auckland and the north is closed, or down to one lane. Traffic has been diverted through Langs Beach and Mangawhai, small settlements with poor roading. We have seen huge trucks passing through since the first flooding, and damaging the already fragile road through to lower-down SH1. It insults the north to be ignored on infrastructure — and, no, the railway will not help. Sue de Boer, Mangawhai.
Borrow and build
There is a lot of debate over government spending. We are in debt by billions due to Covid — like all countries. Now we need new highways, bridges, and water systems. It will cost mega-billions in the next 30 years. We live in a country with a difficult geographical structure. Any infrastructure work is difficult and expensive. Borrow the money and get on with it. There is no other option. Mark Lewis-Wilson, Mangōnui.
Cheap options
Cyclone Gabrielle showed the fragility of our infrastructure with respect to telecommunications, electricity delivery, roading and stormwater removal, amongst others. One reason given is that many projects and installations have been done on the cheap and provision for natural disasters overlooked. In a similar vein, Finance Minister Grant Robertson, in his hurry to start Auckland’s hugely expensive light rail project, has fallen into the trap of trying to make it palatable by cutting the cost to the bone and risking it being a white elephant on the day it opens through penny-pinching and failure to futureproof it. Gavin Baker, Glendowie.
Mitigate risk
For those who haven’t yet experienced the damage done by flooding, much of the news in the past few weeks may seem surreal. A woman I met yesterday who lost her home in Auckland along with most of its contents still appeared slightly shell-shocked three weeks on and for her it seems strange that those unaffected continue as if nothing happened. I remember experiencing such regular flooding, 50 years ago when I was young in Petone, that our father built a punt. Climate changes all the time and it is perhaps better to try to mitigate risk rather than monetise it. A lot of the problems in Auckland are perhaps due to poor infrastructure while allowing significant over-development. Maintenance of drains and planning for managing water flow and areas of natural planting and grass to allow for soaking up of excess water flow are needed instead of “concreting the world” as David Attenborough once said. Some in New Zealand, including Dame Anne Salmond and David Norton from University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry, have lobbied for support of native forest due to its nature in protecting land and water flow better than fast-growing pines. Ingrid Memelink, Dunedin.
Selling NZ
The ministerial inquiry led by local Ruatoria-raised Hekia Parata surely does not need the power to call witnesses as photographs plainly show the problem. The Overseas Investment Office has allowed East Coast land to be sold, used irresponsibly for high monetary profit gains, and left in a state of multibillion-dollar destruction affecting homes, farms, rivers, roads, bridges, beaches, coasts, kaimoana and people’s mental state. All future sales of New Zealand land must be banned, the OIO act more responsibly and inspectors of any land-use do their jobs. The Government should require companies to plant oil-rich manuka interspersed by natives on East Coast land. It must also concede that we have many times been “taken for a ride” by foreign corporates and remove the power of the OIO to sell NZ land. Marie Kaire, Whangarei.
Infrastructure hopes
It is disingenuous of Shane Te Pou (Herald on Sunday, February 26) to try and make us think the faceless bureaucrats in Wellington are the same as teachers, nurses and emergency workers who assist with the recovery efforts. He says it will be the public service that gets things rebuilt. Interesting, because under Labour we have thousands of extra public servants but no new infrastructure has been built since 2017. Mark Young, Orewa.
Xi’s decision
The war in Ukraine has reached a pivotal moment, will China supply lethal weaponry to Russia? If so, the world’s economic order will coalesce into a united front which could be detrimental to China’s economy, their prosperity. China’s president Xi Jinping plays a dangerous game as he witnesses the impact of Western sanctions imposed on Russia’s economy, exports halving and the onset of economic pain now confronting Russia’s citizens. Xi has much to consider, does he support an isolated ally facing economic chaos or does he embrace the international community where China’s trade has prospered and its future lies? Only China has the influence to end Putin’s barbarism. P. J. Edmondson, Tauranga.
On forestry
As a New Zealander living in Canada (visiting family in Northland and Gisborne), I was flabbergasted to learn the forestry industry is eligible for carbon credits. Any credits should be reduced by the carbon costs of cleaning up and repair of flood damage. Keith Rasmussen, Canada.
On water
Seems like Three Waters was started at a very inauspicious time. Now we are suffering by more water than we need or can handle. Better to can it asap. S Mohanakrishnan, Auckland.
On Razor
Watching the Crusaders-Chiefs game on Friday evening, I saw nothing that lead me to believe Scott Robertson would do a better job as All Blacks coach than Ian Foster. Murray Dear, Hamilton.
On China
If article one of China’s 12-point peace plan “Respecting the sovereignty of all countries” in relation to the war in Ukraine had been complied with by Putin, the remaining 11 articles would be superfluous. Lloyd McIntosh, West Harbour.
On Joyce
Having read Steven Joyce’s inspiring opinion piece on how to organise the infrastructure rebuild (Weekend Herald, February 25) I can only lament that he is not Prime Minister and our ablest politician, David Seymour, will not become his deputy. Stewart Hawkins, St Heliers.
Teen mental health crisis: ‘TikTok has completely changed the game’
This is terrible. Part of the problem may be the failure to identify people. In other words, how many would post harmful content for profit if their true identities, qualifications, and locations were known? I suspect many would stop harmful content pretty much straight away if they could be traced. Sure, some wouldn’t give a toss, but at least harmful content could drop, and that’d be a good thing. I don’t see how having a criteria of identifying oneself before posting any content could be an issue of privacy. After all, posters would have the choice. It comes down to the money. Nothing more, nothing less. Social media knows if people have to use their true identities, the moolah will be less forthcoming. The real argument ain’t privacy, but societal health vs big profits. Timothy T.
We are in a difficult information world, where the people who say they are the truth often are the biggest misinformation gatherers. AI is only going to make it worse as the false articles spread, the more AI calls it the truth. The reality between false and fiction is now so clouded that political parties also use this method. The only way to help kids now is to tell them to trust nobody and do thorough research themselves. A Godless society is now what we have. Mark I.
Why haven’t parents set parental controls on their children’s devices? Social media is a cesspool of everything wrong in the world. It promotes bullying and narcissism. I rate it as one of the worst things humanity has created. Mark Y.
This issue seems far more worthy of Government focus and funding than hate-speech hysteria ever did. Bold policy is needed to control social-media harm, with a vigorous education re-set to rescue our plummeting standards. John K R.
Where did our hard-earned $1.9 billion go? I keep asking but nobody seems to have been able to tell me. It would be great if the Herald managed to discover where it all went. Patrick F.
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.