Stable population
It is time to re-think the notion that we can improve our well being as a nation by aggressively growing our population. The evidence is everywhere that this strategy is simply not working.
If we want to increase our well-being, we need to learn to do more with fewer
hands by investing in automation, technology, and expert skills. Using our scarce resources to build more infrastructure and another million houses over the next 30 years is going to get us nowhere.
At the very least we need to immediately call a halt to almost all inward immigration until we see post-Covid how many Kiwis currently overseas are going to return.
Then we need to reduce immigration numbers to a trickle and only allow those who are going to make a well above average and unique contribution to real wealth generation. It is obvious we are hitting the physical limits of our environment and prospect of us all living in shoebox-sized apartments is not a step forward.
We need a plan to stabilise our population, get out of the expanding traditional infrastructure business, and focus on improving the quality of what we have, and in particular jobs, not the quantity.
Steve Matheson, Mr Eden.
Pay the piper
Beaches in Auckland are polluted because ratepayers are unwilling to pay for required improvements. Politicians are also unwilling to make the hard decisions as they fear being tossed out next election.
In Waitomo, we pay $2000 per year in rates to cover the cost of recent upgrades to fresh water and wastewater.
Until Aucklanders put their money up nothing is going to change.
Rodney Hide and John Key have left a legacy of a mammoth city paralysed by ratepayers who always expect rates to stay the same or fall, and politicians who always promise to hold rates at the same level to gain a seat on council.
You all need to take responsibility and make the hard decision; stop talking and take action.
Trying to blame everyone else is time-wasting and nothing gets done. The team of 1.5 million needs to unite, pay up and fix the problem.
No more roads, monuments, sports stadiums etc till wastewater and runoff is taken care of.
Gordon Walker, Piopio.
Unfettered growth
The Unitary Plan is totally incongruous with Auckland Council and the Government declaring a Climate Emergency.
The gross over-development of Auckland's residential suburbs is decimating the city's tree canopy, and all the natural advantages vegetation brings.
Not to mention that roads, schools, hospitals and the sewer system are already being crushed under the weight of this utterly uncontrolled growth (We don't even have enough water, for Pete's sake).
We are literally choking Auckland to death - and yet being asked to fund this further at an ever-increasing rate. Time for a new paradigm.
Charlie Haddrell, Greenlane.
Tide of discontent
The Herald is right to draw attention in its editorial (January 7) and continuing coverage to the disgrace of contaminated beaches.
This is an issue of long standing. As demonstrated by Mayor Goff's intervention with Watercare to moderate proposed charge increases, the Auckland electorate has never been prepared to countenance the scale of increase in rates and charges required to future-proof the city's water infrastructure against the extremes of drought and excessive rainfall.
But two things have changed. First, since the creation of the single city following the Royal Commission, Watercare as a council-controlled organisation is now at a greater distance from the political process. It is in a better position to make longer-term decisions that incur substantial costs.
Secondly, Auckland has experienced almost unprecedented water restrictions over winter and now widespread contamination of beaches over summer.
The combination of greater political distance and two near-catastrophic failures of key city water infrastructure should make it easier for costly, but necessary, long-term investments to take place.
Peter Davis, Emeritus Professor in Population Health and Social Science, The University of Auckland.
Put to flight
When a yacht spends most of its time flying through the air then surely it is no longer a yacht but more accurately an aero yacht, as distinguished between a monohull or catamaran that relies predominantly on sailing on the ocean and not above it.
Yachts have a tradition of great majesty and beauty throughout our history.
The current America's Cup flying machines, in contrast, resemble a praying mantis having an anxiety attack.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
