Remember the days of the old school swimming pool, when the first class of the day had the job of 'breaking the ice'? Photo / Stuart Munro, File
When I was at school in the 1960s, most schools had an unfenced concrete swimming pool in which pupils were taught to swim, many times in cold conditions.
In contrast today most of those pools are now unused due to the growth industry that is health and safety.
Schools now must take into account myriad requirements including risk management plans and so on, on top of their normal workload that just becomes all too hard. For sure, some of these rules have some merit but I believe we are now seeing the results of the "PC" brigade in the swathe of drownings that are regularly occurring.
Get back to basics and teach kids skills such as swimming.
Politicians though are far too concerned at looking good rather than looking at what is, in fact, important.
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
Skippers' call
I agree it is dreadful the number of deaths in the water this summer - have these numbers been extrapolated out with the increase of our population?
Add in the increase of disposable income that allows more people to own boats who may have no idea of the dangers at sea.
It is not the schools' role to teach swimming but owning a boat should require water competency and a check their friends have water competency.
It's like driving a car with seatbelts.
Maybe all boaties should have to complete a boat masters' course similar to a driving test and be assured their friends can float in a life jacket before they take them out for a fish or joy-ride in their boat on our waters? After all, drivers are responsible for ensuring passengers wear a seat belt.
Lynne Lagan, Hauraki.
Rolling progress
Environmental researcher Susan Krumdieck, professor of energy transition at Edinburgh's Herriot-Watt University - after 17 years at the University of Canterbury - makes some vital points about transport as we debate our future options.
She has written books about how to move away from the oil age and into a circular economy where we burn less carbon, import less junk and make stuff locally.
She argues that New Zealand should make electrifying its train network a top transport priority, as trains use six times less power than trucks. Electric trucks will be used for short-haul delivery at the final part of the freight journey.
And she also believes we should re-introduce trams into our cities, to reduce the air pollution and over-use of cars, which are dangerous and ruining our quality of life.
The implications and the benefits of her suggestions are exciting - and we, the public, must now insist that our local and national politicians stop pussy-footing around, and accept their role as leaders in this urgent transition.
V M Fergusson, Mt Eden.
Lost the plot
Michael Joseph Savage is generally regarded by academics and the general public as one of New Zealand's greatest and most revered prime ministers.
This is what he said nearly 100 years ago: "Speculation in land for the sake of profit is to be combatted.
"We will see to it," he said, "That people do not get rich at others' expense by selling land. That certainly will be a reform to which no one but the speculator can object. Land booms are evil and disastrous and they will be prevented."
We failed to learn that lesson and the outcome of that failure is the housing catastrophe we see today.
The Labour Government at the time replaced slums with state houses, introduced free medical care, and improved pensions. These are all measures every New Zealander benefits from to this day, including those who despise such social welfare policies.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Controversy courted
The "thinness" and at times ineptitude of the National Party Caucus has once again been exposed.
A social media post by Harete Hipango amply demonstrates this disarray and further shows a lack of cohesion in the National Party parliamentary teamwork.
Did she not consider the impact her support for the anti-vaxxers would have on National's Covid policy? Her stance is one of a maverick with a view completely at odds with her party.
Equally problematic is her lack of advocacy for Māori, whose vaccination rate is well behind that of the general population. She does her people a grave disservice.
It is not the first time that she has courted controversy. With her party urgently seeking cohesion as a team united and an effective Opposition, she is a liability. She should resign or Luxon should move her on. Who's next on the list?
Diana Walford, Greenlane.
Braking bad
Simon Wilson's "safer roads" series was excellent and raised awareness of this serious issue. It is disheartening that in 2021, 44 per cent of fatal road crashes still involve alcohol/drugs (18 per cent of them were speeding as well). Forty per cent of these drivers were not wearing seatbelts at the time, and 40 per cent did not have full licences. Regrettably, for every 100 driver fatalities, there were 53 passenger and pedestrian fatalities.
It's difficult to understand police not carrying out checks when 55 per cent of fatal crashes involved alcohol/drugs and speed.
International best practices recommend policies to reduce drinking in general and driving in specific. Reducing opening hours for outlets selling alcohol; numbers of alcohol outlets; alcohol marketing; police checkpoints; treatment programmes for addiction; and host responsibility are all areas that need addressing to reduce driving fatalities.
We need assistance from public health, alcohol licensing and other relevant agencies to achieve Vision Zero aspirations.
Safer roads require more responsible drivers.
Kushlan Sugathapala, Epsom.
Man the blockades
Sometimes I wonder if your columnist, Simon Wilson, actually lives on the same planet as me.
In a recent column (NZ Herald, January 7), he appeared to seriously suggest that residents on through streets should be allowed - without so much as a by-your-leave from any authority - to block off the road and thus creates two culs-de-sac.
How nice for them to prevent me from using "their" public roadway. But it's a two-handed game, surely.
I live on Hillsborough Rd. I must, by the same stroke of the lawmakers' quill, have the right to place, not wheelie bins as Mr Wilson suggested, but two-tonne concrete blocks to reduce the noise and pollution from traffic using "my" street.
In an unlikely pairing then, we share common cause. Let us, together, badger the mad traffic planners into bringing your idea to full realisation.
David Morris, Hillsborough.
Free of charge
I note that the UK government is contemplating legislation requiring that all new-build housing include an electric vehicle charging system.
It is further reported that such a system will be separately metered from the household supply and controlled in a way similar to the ripple control of water heating so that electric vehicle charging can be switched off at times of high demand in order to protect the main grid.
In short, everyone is to have electric vehicles, but we will not have enough power generation to allow you all to recharge, so you can't go anywhere.
How long before New Zealand follows that path?
G. N. Kendall, Rothesay Bay.
Poor shot
As a tennis player and huge fan I would have loved to have seen the world's number one player competing in Melbourne at the Australian Open tournament. I have not been a fan of Scott Morrison ( Scomo) the Australian Prime Minister. However, for once I find myself agreeing with him.
"Rules are rules and there are no special cases," Morrison said when commenting on Djokovic's eligibility to enter their country. Some say Novak is the new pin-up boy for the anti-vaxxers. However, I am hopeful that, in fact, the vaccine deniers will come to their senses and realise that nothing good can come from adopting that stance.
Far better to get the jab and get on with enjoying life. Whether it is playing tennis, watching tennis or anything else.
Pretty much everything is possible for those who comply.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Learned friends
Shaun Hendy and Siouxie Wiles claim the University of Auckland has failed to protect them from public criticism.
They were together at the fore in criticising their science professor colleagues who did not support the inclusion of mātauranga Māori and myth in the science curriculum, clearly following the prevailing political will. Pot and kettle.
June Kearney, West Harbour.
Editor's note
Figures in a letter on Kāinga Ora published yesterday were based on an incorrect amount earlier reported by the Herald and since corrected. Both errors are regretted.
On arrivals
Something is wrong with the pre-testing requirements. With our systems and people overloaded here already, it would appear more needs to be done to screen these people. John Reece, Papatoetoe.
On Djokovic
Is it stating the obvious to observe that Mr Djokovic's parents predestined his current issues when they named him Novak? Peter Clapshaw, Remuera.
Djokovic would have earned considerably more public respect if he had simply accepted the ruling gracefully and caught the next plane home. Gerald Payman, Mt Albert.
On cones
All those cones scattered on Auckland City streets make a wonderful Christmas display at night. The problem is, who goes where and which side of what? Catherine Curlett, Remuera.
On Omaha
"The Omaha dilemma: $12m to spend but nothing to buy in rich-lister beach town." Which goes to show, you can be wealthy and decerebrate all at the same time. Andrew Montgomery, Remuera.
On protests
The Freedom from Tyranny protesters in Christchurch are obviously not aware of what is happening in Kazakhstan. That is tyranny. V. Hall, Whangaparāoa.
Those on a fixed income with no way of earning more are going to find out that it was a bad idea putting all those toys and holidays on the house. Everything is going up in price. Thousands of people have mortgages coming off fixed term. The new rate will be double. I have popcorn ready. Anaru B.
NZ's inflation rate is typical of what's happening around the world. OECD publication on December 2 listed the average inflation rate at 5.2 per cent per annum and the highest figure since February 1997. In particular, energy prices increased 24.2 per cent. Latest figures in from the UK and USA had annual inflation running at 5.1 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively. This puts into perspective our annual 4.9 per cent CPI which shows that supply chain issues and energy costs are certainly having the largest impact. NZ Stats notes, for the year to Sep 2021, housing and household utilities increased 6 per cent whilst transport costs increased 13 per cent. Rick F.
It sometimes seems that the only accepted policy to restrain inflation, apart from higher interest rates, is to prevent wages from increasing. Not for the people on already exorbitant salaries, of course, and investors always expect returns to stay at least as high as before inflation. It wouldn't be so bad if the fear of inflation wasn't used to argue against increasing wages for the lower paid when there is no actual inflation. No wonder the wealth gap continues to get wider and wider. Ed W.
It's funny how people think raising the meagre wages of people on minimum wage puts the price of goods and services up, but massive increases of upper management's already huge salaries has no effect on the price that company charges. Warren S.
Unfortunately for sitting governments, no matter how much they try to say "it's not us", voters generally give them the boot. The less money you and I have in the back pocket, the grumpier we become. Jan W.
'It’s been a tough year and now we feel like we can breathe.'