Community groups
How is it that under the new level 2 rules, it is permissible for say a restaurant with sufficient seating to have up to 10 groups not exceeding 10 persons (100 in total) all under the one roof and yet the many clubs which serve the needs of independent seniors can only hold our scheduled meetings provided we are not greater in number than 10?
We all know who is attending, so tracing is not an issue and, at our age, we do have a very developed sense of responsibility. We never have alcohol present, so what risk do we present to the wider community?
Effectively, our organisations are put on hold - much to the frustration of those who wish to regain their much-valued community involvement.
Funerals or church services are similarly limited to 10 persons - where is the fairness in that?
Graeme McIntosh, chairman, Rebus NZ Incorporated.
Tourism delay
There have been several calls for the awakening of NZ tourism and a mutual "bubble" with Australia.
To date these ideas have been met with cautious discussion and one could wonder why? Certainly, the NZ tourist industry could use the shot in the arm. However, is there an underlying hesitation that is a deeper, more political malady?
Opening up a 'travel bubble" with Australia would be a tacit admission that the health status of NZ and Australia are similar enough to justify mixing populations. The Government of NZ may not want to go down this road yet, considering that we embraced much more stringent health measures than Australia and our style of lockdown had more severe effects on our economy.
The borders of NZ will only be opened when the Government is confident that there is an equitable balance between the health status of NZ and Australia. To do so too soon would motivate a comparison between the health strategies of the two countries.
Regretfully the NZ tourism industry may have to wait until the Government feels it has put enough distance between our lockdown measures and the comparative consequences.
Dr Mike Schmidt, Pakuranga.
Under investment
Having been a director of Manukau Water Ltd before its merger into Watercare, I know there were, and still are, very good long-term water usage forecasts and capacity-build requirements anticipated by senior management, including for droughts.
What has not happened over many years (probably nearly 10 now) is the actual true higher incremental investment to reflect that need, be it growth-driven, drought protection, alternative sources or risk mitigation.
Why has this essential investment for the whole of greater Auckland not occurred at least in part?
To put it in context, we are about to spend a mind-blowing amount on the Harbour Bridge walkway. Nowhere near enough to fix the Watercare investment needed but surely certainty around water supply for New Zealand's biggest city has far greater priority than this or many other council pet investments?
We need far more impartiality and a better business approach/risk analysis than is happening currently. Get the core business responsibilities of council to its ratepayers fixed first.
Ron Pearson, Howick.
Time for action
Watercare's resource consent application to take more water from the Waikato has been with the Waikato Regional Council since December 2013 – and it is still only 94th in the queue. So it could easily take a decade or longer to be granted, presumably behind much more trivial applications. This astonishing situation raises three issues for the three bodies:
In what universe could the Waikato Regional Council, its councillors and managers possibly think such a lengthy process is acceptable?
Why has Watercare not been lobbying the WRC, its masters at Auckland Council and also central government to have the process fast-tracked? If it has, it's clearly been unsuccessful. In the past seven years, Auckland's population has grown significantly.
Given the current dire situation was evident months ago, well before Covid-19, why haven't Watercare and Auckland Council been asking the Government to "call in" this project, one of the major health impacts for 1.6 million people?
We are facing the possibility of further restrictions and impacts on industry just when we need it the most. This is not the time for bureaucracy. This is the time for action.
Peter Lee, Hillcrest.
Insurance gone
I understand the concerns of your correspondent with regard to a lack of refunds from airlines ("The Great Plane Robbery" NZ Herald, May 8). My wife and I are in the same situation, having booked and paid for a trip in June, which now - due to Covid-19 - is not going to happen.
What is equally concerning is the callous attitude of the travel insurance companies. We paid $2277 travel insurance to Cover More Travel Insurance (through Flight Centre) and have been told it is non-refundable.
Alongside the Plane Robbery, this surely has to be the Great Insurance Heist.
Stephen Alpe, Royal Oak.
Digital lifeline
Plenty of fingers have been pointed at the previous government's alleged neglect of various sectors of the economy whilst in office. However, I am yet to hear a single word of praise for its efforts in initiating and driving the high-speed broadband network project.
Without that, life over the last few weeks would have been dire indeed - if not impossible - for households and businesses alike.
Apart from the ability to be able to connect, communicate and work remotely, many of us have discovered new and better ways to organise our daily lives and ways of doing business.
The benefits of this will flow well into the future, and I for one am grateful.
Duncan Simpson, Albany.
Family role
The article by Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft (NZ Herald, May 7) was illuminating. What is the importance of a stable, loving family in a child's life?
"The family" - that traditional pyramid which encompasses parents, grandparents, extended relatives, all vital in the protection, education and guidance the structure provides - appears threatened.
Too many children today are deprived of this support; some neglected or abused, many abandoned requiring state care as some parents abdicate their moral parental responsibility to nurture their offspring. Are entrenched non-family- friendly policies, open to abuse, possible causes of this serious issue pervading society today?
The growing prevalence of child deprivation and abuse is tragic. Has the state in fact inherited the surrogate role of parenthood?
P J Edmondson, Tauranga.
Back to school
I can personally identify with the problems of kids going back to school on Monday, May 18. When I had my 10th birthday in January, I got rheumatic fever and went to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth, needing to lay flat on the hospital bed for weeks before going to Lady Lawley Cottage for a month.
I went back to my primary school in Victoria Park in mid-May but soon caught up with my class and at 12 years old won a scholarship over my classmates.
It saved my life and was well worth the four-month exclusion from my class. So think positive. It can be done.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
Short & sweet
On tourism
For the last 30 years, it has been cheaper to take a packaged family holiday on the Gold Coast rather than a holiday in the South Island. Time to reverse that trend. Bruce Tubb, Belmont.
On drought
If the levels of water are truly lower than the lowest in the 1990s in the regional dams, then the Auckland Council needs to make water tanks compulsory for all houses in its jurisdiction. Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
On control
New government controls and edicts have recently been so familiar and frequent, this situation may silently become a new standard for governing New Zealand. Voters beware. Hylton Le Grice, Remuera
On knowledge
One of the spin-off benefits to NZ from the Covid-19 pandemic has been the strengthening of our health system. There are tens of thousands of men and women out there who all know better than the experts who have been advising our government. Phil Chitty, Albany.
On flu
Maybe a daily flu report could be included with the now daily virus report. The systems appear to be in place for this opportunity, and it would help to improve public awareness, that, left untreated, the flu can also be very dangerous. Rob Elliott, Kohimarama.
On schools
Perhaps there should be only two more school terms this year, similar to the system which existed earlier. This will give students time to catch up on missed lessons. Dail Jones, Torbay.
On level 2
So to get this right. Cafes, etc must reorder their premises for 1m distancing. Tennis players should be 2m apart. Only 10 people permitted to gather. Contact sports such as rugby are all go; spitting, sweating and tackling, business as usual. And hairdressers require PPE. Got it. June Kearney, West Harbour.
On the PM's advice, to beat the virus we need to be "spaced out". The cannabis referendum could not have come at a better time. Peter Culpan, Waitakere.
