B. Jeffery, Herne Bay.
Pike River waste
Without exception I feel great sadness for those who lost loved ones in the Pike River mine disaster. However, the lengths being planned to re-enter the mine lack logic or common sense. Surely those relatives cannot be so self-centred as to demand and expect the New Zealand taxpayer to cough up with $23 million to find seven-year-old bodies, not to mention putting other people at risk in a dangerous situation. How will the recovery change anything? It won't bring anyone back from the dead.
Pike River is the dead miners' tomb. We are a small nation with much need. Surely our resources need to be used more judiciously.
Deborah Roberts, Remuera.
Memorial instead
The collapse of the Pike River Mine was an absolute tragedy. But surely the present Government should not try to compound the tragedy by offering any false hope of an entry and, even worse, spending a large sum on a committee to discuss the possibility of this taking place in 18 months.
Far better to offer this money to the families who must be hurting financially after the loss of income. Use it also to boost funds for the local schools, pay for apprenticeships and offer scholarships to university all in the name of Pike River. Thus would be created an enduring memorial to those men whose lives were lost.
Linley Jones, Half Moon Bay.
Business class fares
I am outraged the Auckland Council's CEO has refused to accept a legitimate notice of motion from some councillors. Under normal standing orders of a normal council, no officer (including the chief executive) has a right to refuse to put a notice of motion on a council agenda unless it has been recently debated.
It is even more outrageous that the chief executive is one of those who could be affected by a change, which, by his intervention, will now be delayed for some months allowing the spending spree to continue.
Finally, I am amazed that very few councillors seem savvy enough or brave enough to stand up for their democratic rights as our elected representatives, and to impose their wishes on the hordes of officers, rather than what seems to be the other way around.
A.P. Holman, Northcote Point.
America's Cup
They say the America's Cup will bring in a billion dollars, big deal. Like the previous AC and the RWC, my economic benefit will be zero and I suggest the same will apply to the overwhelming majority of Aucklanders.
Still we will be expected to spend our meagre savings on overpriced merchandise, turning ourselves into mobile unpaid advertising billboards for some wealthy syndicate, just to show how patriotic we are.
If the yachting industry and others are so keen on it, then let them pay for it (and they can send me a free T-shirt while they are at it), then reap any rewards or, most likely, losses. I am tired of subsidising entertainment events for the rich.
Still there is always those new minimum wage jobs to look forward to at all the new cafes and bars.
Peter Boyd Wass, Manurewa.
Open Cup to all
Why doesn't New Zealand do something really radical and take the America's Cup regatta out of the hands of the ultra-rich and give the average sailing club a chance to win this much-desired trophy? It is after all meant to be a test of sailing ability above all else so I suggest it be sailed using a yacht such as an International Moth. There's plenty of them around already, they are exciting to sail and to watch, need a crew of one, don't need acres to store on land or require rebuilds of everything from wharves to syndicate facilities, nor cost millions to build, only to be discarded at the end of the contest.
Isn't New Zealand the country that takes pride in giving the little guy an even chance? Here's the opportunity to put skill above technology and prove to the world that we do really have the best sailors to do the job.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
Climate refugees
Perhaps already, or maybe right now or, if we are lucky, in a little while, climate change will reach its "tipping point" and become an unstoppable, unfixable disaster for the human race. In these circumstances, allowing even one new coal mine to open on the West Coast does not seem very smart.
Among other foreseeable effects of runaway climate change is the strong possibility that much more of Australia will over-cook to the point of becoming uninhabitable, in which case we in New Zealand can probably expect a stream of desperate, displaced, poverty-stricken climate refugees to reach our shores in small boats crossing the Tasman Sea from Australia. Luckily Australians have already modelled for us some effective ways of dealing with these sorts of people.
Rose Lovell-Smith, Mount Roskill.
Telling pictures
Contrary to the article by Matthew Phillips, the refugees on Manus Island come across in pictures as reasonably strong-looking men.
Phillips states the refugees showed them a handful of filthy and unusable showers and toilet facilities that hundreds of men have shared resulting in outbreaks of skin infections and gastro problems.
As Phillips took cameras into the area, why were no pictures published of the facilities and conditions so that we get a true idea of what is going on there.
We do not want these refugees in New Zealand — looking after our own should be our first priority.
P. Salvador, West Harbour.
Players born here
Your correspondent P.J. Houlahan applauds players like Jason Taumalolo and Tui Lolohea for representing their respective nations, before going on to state that every player should be free to choose which nation they play for.
On the other hand apparently, it is shameful that others who play for the All Blacks (such as Fifita and Naholo) should be allowed to represent New Zealand, presumably as they were not born here. P.J. Houlahan may or may not be aware that both Taumalolo and Lolohea were born and raised in Auckland.
Keith Miller, Glendowie.
Precious church
Churches all over New Zealand are under threat of demolition if they are no longer viable for various reasons. However, the Auckland Council has just announced it wants to grant St David's Memorial Church in Khyber Pass a category "A" heritage classification, the highest level of heritage protection available for New Zealand buildings.
Individuals and companies throughout the country have already shown extraordinary support for preserving this glorious brick building as it nears its centenary.
More than $1 million over the past two years has been raised through the purchase of the quatrefoils by renowned Kiwi artist Max Gimblett. The facade of the church was covered with these glittering quatrefoils in 2015.
Built soon after World War I, the official church of the Royal New Zealand Engineers and Auckland nurses who served in the war, St David's quickly became known as "The Soldiers' Church".
Buoyed by fundraising success, the Friends of St David's Trust is in discussions with the Presbyterian Church.
We have a commercially viable plan to raise further funds for restoration and for the St David's Centre, which will be available for use for a range of community purposes.
We urge Aucklanders to visit the council website and support its proposal.
Penelope Stevenson, Friends of St David's Trust.
