Letters: Speed limits, convention centre fire, sheep, scooters

Lower speed limits around town are all well and good but what about the open roads? File photo / Duncan Brown

Speed limits

I am sure the transport authorities are well intentioned in their desire to reduce speed limits on Auckland city streets (NZ Herald, October 23). However, far more fatalities occur on rural roads and that is where changes need to be urgently addressed.
It is ludicrous to have two vehicles hurtling toward each other at 100km/h separated only by a strip of white paint on the road. Imagine if one of those vehicles is a milk tanker or a logging truck and try to visualise what you will look like if you are in the car.
In my view the speed limit on all rural roads should be immediately reduced to 80km/h. This would definitely save lives.
At the same time, to appease the inevitable wrath of motorists, speed limits on all motorways with median barriers could be increased to 120km/h.
If you think about it these changes are logical and sensible.
I consider myself well qualified to comment on this subject having lost two brothers to head-on fatalities. Firstly, my brother Brian in 1992 (age 50), and then Rex in 2003 (age 60). Both on rural roads. Two wives left without husband's and six children left without fathers.
If the speed limit was 80km/h perhaps the collisions may have still happened, but the likelihood of their survival would have been hugely increased.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.

SkyCity fire

Auckland councillors and politicians have already stated the need to assess the SkyCity Convention Centre fire and get the building back on track (NZ Herald, October 23).
The project is an absolute disaster. It is years behind completion and millions over budget. Add another 150 million dollars and three more years until completion because of the
fire.
What has to happen before grown adults agree to mothball the whole project? I suspect pride won't allow that.
Auckland Council and Fletcher Building are an embarrassment.
Mark Lewis-Wilson, Mangonui.

Workplace wellness

Thanks to Aimee Shaw and the business desk for reporting on how SMEs can improve workplace wellness for their employees (NZ Herald, October 22).
It is not just small business owners who face this dilemma, however.
Large organisations and private companies vary in their approach, resources and commitment to supporting their staffs' mental health.
Even those boasting "wellness policies" and mental health advocates/ambassadors are sometimes well off the mark in their actions and provision of support.
A large professional organisation covering 12,000 New Zealand practitioners also falls into this category.
It's time to "walk the talk", people. If you claim to support wellness, then you've simply got to do it – and be seen to be doing it.
Susan Moody, Remuera.

Sheep shooed

What is One Tree Hill without the sheep? The answer is, just another city park.
That is what One Tree Hill has become now that the Auckland City Council and Tūpuna Maunga have decided to remove all the livestock from their portion of the park.
One can now walk from the Manukau Rd entrance to the top of the hill without seeing a single sheep.
In my opinion, this is not what most Aucklanders would want.
Please Auckland City Council and Tūpuna Maunga, protect your archeological sites with fences and bring back the sheep.
Sue Prebble, Auckland Central.

Scooter fiasco

Sincere congratulations to Dr Claire Dale for her incisive analysis (NZ Herald, October 21) of the current bizarre situation where scooters are allowed to be ridden on footpaths and to be dumped anywhere.
It is ridiculous that Auckland Transport has not issued regulations preventing the use of scooters on footpaths. As Dr Dale points out, they seem not to care for pedestrians.
They are obsessed with reducing the amount of traffic on the roads and think if people can be persuaded to get rid of their cars and use scooters we will all benefit. No consideration has been given at to the rights of pedestrians, especially elderly pedestrians, nor have they taken into account the cost of dealing with scooter injuries. The whole scooter saga is a fiasco.
The aggressive off-shore scooter promoters arrived here unheralded and dumped their scooters on Auckland City. They know that they need care not at all about the numerous injuries bound to be caused by their scooters because the New Zealand Accident Compensation will pay for it all.
As Dr Dale's article points out, many overseas cities, including Los Angeles and Paris, have prohibited scooters from footpaths. It is time to follow suit.
Sir David Williams, KNZM, QC.

Hospital debt

Regarding Northland District Health Board's $165,000 unpaid debt from treating a visitor from overseas (NZ Herald, October 12), charity beginning at home was demonstrated to me a few years back, when visiting New York. A member of our party crushed her hand in a taxi door and was rejected by a hospital emergency department as she couldn't prove to their satisfaction that she had medical insurance (she did). The second hospital refused help until a credit card was produced.
Perhaps a policy like that should be introduced here?
Jackie McCabe, Kaitaia.

Halt trams

How much longer are we to be badgered by the present administration that somehow trams are a great idea?
No they are not. Auckland got rid of them 60 years ago when there was a far lower percentage of car ownership thus greater patronage.
The very idea of having trams down the centre of any road in Auckland is totally crazy.
Buses have proven to be more efficient and flexible and will continue to be.
Build a heavy rail loop to the airport that will carry passengers and freight. Build better roads to accommodate buses and shuttles but no, no, no, most emphatically, no to trams.
Jim Radich, Hillsborough.

Responsibility

A landmark Court of Appeal judgement has ruled meth dealers could have their sentences reduced by up to 30 per cent if they can prove addiction caused their offending (NZ Herald, October 22).
If this is the case it should also apply to alcoholics, and let's not forget those who were brought up in violent homes who can prove their upbringing caused them to commit crimes. Whatever happened to taking responsibility for your own actions? These measures are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and don't address the issues causing them.
Neil Hatfull, Warkworth.

Colonial past

I am very concerned for New Zealand's future with the recent events and vile statements on all sides.
Yes, Māori have been the subject in the past of a "European invasion" and have benefited since from such accordingly.
Let us finalise the "past grievances" of land confiscation, etc, through the Treaty settlement process as soon as possible so we can move forward as united people with future goals important for the benefit of all our diversity of cultures, races and beliefs, or else ...
David J E Holland, Tauranga.

Shelf abuse

Regarding the letter headlined "Litterbugs" (NZ Herald, October 22), it is a big problem with discarded rubbish dropped anywhere and everywhere, in the street, or shops, etc.
While shopping in a clothing store this week, there was a part-empty milkshake left on a shelf amongst the clothes. Obviously, it was too far to walk to the outside of the shop and drop it in the rubbish bin.
It's just plain laziness and makes one wonder about the condition of their own homes.
P Salvador, Hobsonville.

Short & sweet

On limits

Opposition by some drivers to the lowering of speed limits on rural roads reminds me of a bumper sticker sported by "cool dudes" a few years ago - "go hard or go home". Anne Martin, Helensville.

Well, bully for Auckland Transport for lowering speed limits. One tiny question: who's gonna enforce it? John Beauregard, Whangārei.

On Air NZ

Advertising one-way fares to lure travellers into their website, Air New Zealand is now proclaiming it is "easing the squeeze" in economy if you pay for it. No mention of a lower fare for those in seats with extra squeeze. Richard Kean, Ngongotaha.

On rail

Someone please save us from this brainless obsession with light rail before it costs us even more millions of dollars. Euan Macduff, Titirangi.

There seems little point in spending billions on a system that will not be any faster than the current bus service to the airport. Derek Paterson, Sunnyhills.

On crossword

After reading David Clemow's letter about the Graf Zeppelin's 1929 flight from Germany to Japan, it was amusing to find the clue to three down on the back-page crossword - dirigible. Tony Potter, Remuera.

On pursuits

Because it's killing even innocent motorists, shouldn't fleeing the police bring mandatory jail time for everyone in the vehicle, and be widely publicised? Stop blaming law enforcement for crime or you'll get toothless police. Jim Carlyle, Te Atatu Peninsula.

On fire

There is one tiny silver lining to the cloud emanating from the SkyCity Convention Centre fire: It could have started after completion when hundreds or thousands of people were inside. P D Patten, Albany.