Stephen Kapeli was found dead in the water at a North Shore beach after being given approved unescorted leave from Waitemata DHB's acute mental health unit in Takapuna. Photo / Supplied
How uplifting to read the response of Sue Carter to her son's tragic death while in the care of the mental health unit at North Shore Hospital (Weekend Herald, August 10). Instead of the all too facile
and common calumny heaped upon staff by parents, coroners, media, DHB management and so on, Sue has shown a true nobility of spirit in an all too rare recognition of the invidious role of mental health staff. Damned if they do, damned if they don't - and regularly assaulted withal.
May you be comforted Sue in your grief and the knowledge that you have acted in a noble understanding and compassionate way. May many more follow your shining example.
Phil Goff may well have hit the nail on the head, shifting the bulk of containers off the water front to Highbrook via barges (Weekend Herald, August 10).The cost of dredging the Tamaki estuary long term could have huge benefits as Highbrook is right next to rail and roading networks and city commuters could similarly commute on passenger ferries carrying them to the large, rapidly expanding industrial B in the Highbrook region.
Looking further ahead, with only a mile separating the two harbours, a canal could then be built linking the two harbours by which shipping from Australia would be spared the cost of transporting containers around Cape Reinga all the way down to Auckland. Oceans can move vast quantities of sand. Perhaps the inflow/outflow from such a canal from both oceans would remove much of the Manukau Heads sandbar - by which the benefits to the economy, shipping costs and container storage would be massive and essential to Aucklands future.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Thanks for publishing Leighton Smith's article (Weekend Herald, August 10) on Adrian Orr's prognostications. For those of us who are more simple humans than the Economists who refer to their profession as a science, we can be excused for being somewhat cynical about a science that is so imprecise as to be unreliable. To believe what Adrian Orr is saying is akin to wagering a dollar on a rank outsider. We will all recall Steven Joyce's reference before the last election to the $11 billion hole in Labour's proposed Budget. I recall that just about every economist with access to the media, were adamant that Joyce was grandstanding for political gain. Those economists who were not quoted publicly, remained acquiescent and silent. History now tells us that Joyce was right but also that the hole is in fact somewhat greater than $11b. Personally I believe that economists are a product of academia and their forecasts are like putting a dollar on each of black and red on the roulette table and being right half the time and, yes you've guessed it, being wrong for the other half.
Steve Clerk, Meadowbank.
A J Petersen guesses (Weekend Herald, August 10) that the Greenies "can't tell anyone how long a battery will last, the cost of a replacement and how to dispose of the old one".
A quick Google brings up some useful indications. In the US, a Nissan Leaf battery gets an eight year or 161,000km (100,000 mile) warranty with a specified maximum allowable fall-off in storage capacity. A Hyundai Ioniq battery gets a lifetime warranty to the original (non-commercial) owner including recycling of the old battery.
You can bet your bottom dollar that the manufacturers aren't stupid enough to make warranties so long that they are likely to have to shell out very often; so expect an electric vehicle battery to last longer than 8 years and further than 160,000 km.
Lindsey Roke, Pakuranga Heights.
On the front page (Weekend Herald, August 10) we read the wharves of Auckland store up to 300,000 imported cars per year.
Okay, so now we know this, can those buyers get the message: Guys, catch on - they pollute the air. Badly pollute the air. This contributes to the destruction of the natural environment and onwards to global warming.
What's wrong with buses and trains and bicycles? Sociable and healthy, more fun for the children. Let's live for the future.
Sarah Grimes, Mt Roskill.
Aaron Smith is not playing like he used to when he was arguably the best halfback in the world.
He has spent a lot of time waving his arms around at the referee, instead of using them to get the ball and keep the pace of the game high.
Unfortunately, Smith does his helicopter arms all too often and more times than not it costs us possession.
I have spent over 50 years watching the ABs and this frivolous activity is not helpful to the great game. Smith is also not the only protagonist and we need to see good skilful running rugby come back guys.
Robin Warner, Pyes Pa.
The matter of poor pronunciation crops up regularly, but I have another gripe.
Being hard of hearing, I rely on television subtitles to enable me to follow a programme but get irritated by poor spelling.
For the guidance of those responsible for the captions, please note that unless you are American, "license" is a verb and "licence" the noun.
The edge of a pavement is a "kerb", while "to curb" is a verb.
The word "public" can be a noun or an adjective. The corresponding adverb is "publicly".
There is no such word as "publically".
John Neave, Hamilton.
Federated Farmers is correct, we have not had a firearms register in New Zealand for nearly 40 years but incorrect in saying to set one up would be in the too hard, complex basket. The law requires every person to have each and every vehicle registered and every dog owner to register each of these. Sure it will take some time to set a firearms registration up once again (it should never have been allowed to lapse in the first place) but what are the consequences of not doing it?
Police have no idea how many firearms are in New Zealand because of the willy nilly purchasing, importing and buying on line by all in sundry. All that is required is to provide a person 16 years and over with one piece of paper and then they can purchase as many firearms as they desire.
A firearm, just like a vehicle or dog, is not a toy. They all have the potential to kill.
A firearms registration, like a vehicle registration, will never prevent all deaths, but at least the police will have some control over these weapons of destruction.
What price do we put on the life of New Zealander?
Marie Kaire, Whangārei.
How amazing, with the election two months away, Phil has done a U-turn about
encroaching into the harbour with his dolphins to an idea about a new electric
barge to remove the cars. Jenny Renouf, Belmont.
In New Zealand, we have numbers of very highly paid executives, on the face of it suppressing wage levels of all those below them, to maximise margins and profits. This created wealth is exported mainly to Australia while we will, forever, remain a poor cash cow dressed up in a hospitality apron. Paul Cheshire, Maraetai
Could your correspondent Bruce Tubb enlighten us as to why he wants to nominate Pania Newton for New Zealander of the year? Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
We have a young woman telling the people what to do with their land, who doesn't belong there and chaps telling stories that never happened. Go home and leave it to the elders.
Pat Hickey, Devonport.
How sad that the council sees fit to protect land out at Bombay that historically fed the mouths of Auckland's people, but not land at Ihumātao in Mangere which has historically fed the mana of Auckland's first people. M Evans, Tamaki.
Well done Wallabies, and Kurtley Beale for that matter, you Aussies really took it to us. A hard-earned and deserved win. Israel who? Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
Titanic and iceberg. The apparently unbeatable met cold, hard reality, were smashed to bits and sank. The RWC just got a whole more interesting. Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
What does it take for Phil Twyford to stop hiding behind his fears of precedent and provide some meaningful support for the Albert St business owners? This is a matter of fairness and justice. Ian Dally, Mt Albert.
I see the New Zealand national disgrace, that is thousands of newborn lambs dying of hypothermia has reared its annual ugly head again. Richard Telford, Lucas Heights.
Can someone please find out the numbers of Kiwi nurses working in Australia? Lynne Mckenzie, Whangārei.
It must really do Opposition Leader Simon Bridge's head in to witness the aplomb and total lack of malice or bad mouthing of any that have been rubbishing Jacinda Ardern personally and the Coalition she leads. Gordon Jackson, Papakura.
Good thing it was the census and not the elections, eh? Now there's a warning, against too much digitisation too soon. Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.
Cornwall Park right now has to be a must see. Glorious daffodils in all shades, tulip magnolias in soft pinks through to dark purple, and blossom trees in deep crimson. Don't forget the sheep, there'll be lambs lolloping around very soon. Rosemary Cobb, Milford.
Dr Maia Hetaraka: 'Cultural competence' should evolve into genuine cultural understanding.