A letter recounts painful experiences while waiting for specialist care. Photo / Shannon Fagen, Getty Images, File
Outgrown capacity to cope
At least National Party Leader Christopher Luxon has the gumption to admit (NZ Herald, May 25) National got it wrong; now Labour should do the same. There was no sense to the idiotic decision to legislate in 2021 to allow three-storey, high-density housing on almost any residential section in Auckland. Apart from the obvious disastrous impact on neighbours, the city’s infrastructure can’t cope with high-density housing in the suburbs. The recent flooding is evidence of a lack of maintenance to stormwater systems, culverts, and drains showing the foolishness of allowing Auckland to grow unabated. The perfect storm is still with us, high-density in the suburbs, high immigration, increasing rainfall, failing public transport and more cars than the roads can handle. Forget about growing the city for now. A huge catch up is the only solution until Auckland is once again a liveable city. Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.
Swinging turnstiles
In the Key Government years, many of us fretted about the high immigration numbers only to have “racism” charges levelled against us. For personal/family reasons I was primarily concerned about the effect on our housing supply and the consequent unaffordable rise in rent and purchase prices. But so many people arriving in New Zealand fuelled the “rock star” economy, and to hell with the pressure on all aspects of our infrastructure, as Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, May 25) describes. Now in the post-pandemic era, demands by all parts of the business sector have been relentless: they desperately need more skilled workers. Just when super-inflated house prices are easing, just when we are achieving wage rises that might combat the cost of living, and despite the frighteningly inadequate number of health workers for our medical services, we hear that immigration numbers are skyrocketing. Do we not learn even from recent history? Or does the need for profits always override sustainability? B Darragh, Auckland Central.
Open homes
The Government is in a pickle when it comes to immigration. We have employers from all sectors screaming out for migrant workers, then Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, May 25) moans about the 65,000 migrants who’ve come in this year. The strange thing is, how have these people found accommodation when many Kiwis are on housing waiting lists? The mind boggles. Rex Head, Papatoetoe.
Here and there
In February 2022, I bought a beautiful 400-square-metre house on a 6000sq m lot on the harbourfront in Winyah Bay, South Carolina for NZ$1.5 million and financed it with a 30-year mortgage at a fixed interest of 3.25 per cent - basically free money, given the rate of inflation. Now compare this to the tiny little house on a tiny little lot that I sold in Howick for $1.26m and the best the new owner could likely get was, at maximum term, a five-year mortgage at 6.3 per cent. Can someone explain to me why Kiwis are apparently happy to pay ridiculous prices for minimal housing and be ripped off by rapacious banks? Ericson List, Pāpāmoa.
Price differences
The article about supermarket price variations (NZ Herald, May 24) has confirmed what I have long suspected; that supermarket pricing in less affluent areas is more than in wealthier areas. Monopolistic pricing policies affect our most vulnerable communities time and time again. The recent Commerce Commission report into supermarket pricing is obviously just another waste of taxpayers’ money and has only resulted in yet more price increases. A Foodstuffs spokesperson was quoted in the article that they were “working hard to fight inflation” and food prices have been held below inflation for 12 months in a row. Anyone who regularly does food shopping knows that this is simply not true. A quick Google search tells us that food prices rose by 12.5 per cent in the last 12 months, which is nearly double that of the official inflation rate of 6.7 per cent. If the toothless Commerce Commission cannot rein in these excesses, perhaps a boycott and the IRD could. Martin Reid., Westmere.
Coal comfort
In recent days we have had the Government celebrating, with great fanfare, the announcement of a $140 million subsidy to enable New Zealand Steel to transition a furnace and kilns from coal-fired to electricity. This initiative follows the subsidising of the expansion of the EV fleet (the clean car upgrade) and investment in the electrification of some rail networks. This exercise in political window-dressing includes no mention of how this extra electricity demand is to be managed. Inevitably this increase in demand for base-load power will require further reliance on the Huntly coal-fired power station and its consumption of enormous tonnages of imported Indonesian coal. Shifting the reliance on coal from one site to another will achieve very little and the variable supply of wind or solar will not come close to satisfying demand. Additionally, we now have Transpower advising they may not be able to guarantee supply at times of peak demand over the coming winter. Further, we have the Energy Minister giving condescending advice to consumers on how to save electricity in the home. The hypocrisy evident in all of the above defies logic. George Williams, Whangamatā.
Bleurgh, indeed
Thomas Coughlan (NZ Herald, May 25) welcomes the age of The Bleurghget. The expression bleurgh means to express disgust. We have all heard the expression “how are you feeling - bleurgh” (often with tongue out ). I sympathise with Coughlan in expressing disappointment, disgust and annoyance with the main political parties in New Zealand. It must be exceptionally difficult to maintain one’s balance and any halfway positive attitude when working as deputy political editor for the New Zealand Herald in the Wellington Press Gallery. I note Thomas’ predecessor left early from the position to climb mountains, which he no doubt found a much easier and mentally-refreshing occupation. Good on the editor for letting Coughlan express his bleurgh opinion and finding some light relief in Christopher Luxon’s Arlecchino performance. Those Venetians knew how to dress the performers appropriately. Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
Fearful power
People now live, work and drive past the Huntly Power Station with never a thought that a boiler may explode and kill them. Since the early 18th century when the use of steam was being developed, we have all become at ease with steam engines and boilers. They were once considered with fear and loathing. Steam-powered ships were believed so dangerous that they were banned from many ports, even though they were safer for the crews than those under sail. The introduction of gas and electricity triggered similar responses. Many refused for their whole lifetimes to use either in their homes. How long will it take us in this age of education and computers to overcome the same reaction to nuclear power generation? I suspect that when the limitations of solar and windmill generation become more well understood, there will be an increase in taste for nuclear power generation. If the unnecessary expenditure and pollution in making solar and windmills is to be avoided, that change is needed now. It can be greatly facilitated by better knowledge of contemporary nuclear generation advancements, including how clean and safe it is. Roger Russell, Whangaparāoa.
Electric drain
So we are at risk of power cuts at the same time as the authorities have allowed the construction of several very large, energy-gobbling data centres. Once they start sucking power from the grid, our power cuts will be longer and wider because, for sure, their power supply won’t/can’t be interrupted. Genius. David Morris, Hillsborough.
We’ll burrow
It seems as the internet has grown, so has the dysfunction of this country, I’m a “Baby Boomer” and to me, Kirk was the last prime minister of New Zealand to be thoughtful of the people. After him, it was/is all about egos and getting into power, and staying in power. Today, news and information are just a swipe or Google away. Yet we know more about what’s happening in Ukraine than we do about what’s happening in “Godzone”. I feel sad when I see a group of young people under 30 at a cafe table, more interested in their phones than each other now. And as John Gascoigne writes (NZ Herald, May 22) when sport is the only common interest now amongst our population, that rabbit hole is getting very deep. Stephen Aymes, Te Kuiti.
Otherwise fine
Shayne Currie’s coverage of the weather forecasting duel in New Zealand is timely (NZ Herald, 20 May). Why do successive governments allow taxpayers to fund two government agencies to, essentially, duplicate a weather forecast? This is patently ludicrous and a waste of funding. We don’t have, for example, two fire services. Each political party needs to be challenged as to how this duplication is beneficial to New Zealand. Then again, if parties want a perfect example of trimming unnecessary government spending, then this is an obvious choice. The solution? Leave the actual daily/weekly forecasting to the MetService. Let Niwa focus on atmospheric science related to climate change. Simple and clear. Unsurprisingly, this would revert to the original operating remits of each agency, which worked in the past. M. Boardman, Dunedin.
On inflation
To stop food bills going up by as much as 10 per cent we need to raise the OCR. This means that mortgage payments will be double or even treble that of last year. This is how we keep the cost of living under control. David Hopkins, Remuera.
How much “taxpayers” money has been spent telling us to take short showers? Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
Treasury has forecast inflation will return to low figures by late next year. Based on Treasury’s record of forecasts there is absolutely no chance of this happening. Philip Lenton, Somerville.
On AI
The use of AI as an electioneering tool by political parties should be banned. It’s difficult enough now to sort out the sheep from the goats. Reg Dempster, Albany.
On Paora
I wonder how many people who complained about the treatment of a Kiwi at an American zoo ate chicken that night? Roger Hall, Takapuna.
On ferals
Would Linda Ross (NZH, May 24), who finds John Gascoigne’s use of “feral underclass” (NZH, May 22) abhorrent, prefer the more apt descriptor “lowlife scumbags”? Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
Inside the Harbour Bridge control room
Waka Kotahi changed the threshold for wind to 90 km/h. It hit 91, so the bridge got closed. Mark Y.
Yes, the threshold changed so the bridge got closed which was disruptive and frustrating. The explanation was given that it’s been recognised if it wasn’t changed we risked another incident of a vehicle hitting the bridge like last time, closing it until structural repairs could be done which brings a whole new level of inconvenience. I would hate to see the comments if they weren’t more conservative and a truck closed it again. We need a second crossing and all parties need to get behind it rather than a change in government and resetting plans. Gillian B.
As is usual with politicians, they can’t resist interfering in operational matters that are way outside the boundaries of good governance, to say nothing of the limit of their personal competence. They would be the first to blame the officials if there was a wind-related disaster. Colin J.
I was on the bridge the day the truck hit it. The wind was abnormal and was a mini-tornado, with visible ice circulating in it. The truck on my right started rocking violently and stopped, not wanting to be underneath it if it fell, I kept driving. By the time I crested the bridge, it had been struck by the truck that hit it. That was a freak circulating violent wind, and probably way in excess of 90km/h. Max K.
Why can’t they just slow the traffic to 30km/h when the wind gets above a certain level or gusts are likely, and ban lane changing? No vehicles get blown around at 30km/h. Robert R.
That’s why the second crossing should be a tunnel. Ian U.
Powerball has now rolled over to $10 million for Wednesday night's draw.