Whanganui letters: A tribute to Caskey, vaccine division and recycling

Jason Caskey's "magnificent contribution" to rugby in Whanganui was acknowledged by a reader. Photo / Bevan Conley

On behalf of all rugby supporters in Whanganui and around the region I would like to acknowledge the magnificent contribution Jason Caskey has made to our sport.

Over the past 30 years as a player and a coach, Caskey has excelled.

He has made 75 rep appearances for the Butcher Boys as a player and around 180 games as a coach or assistant coach.

Except for the elusive Ranfurly Shield, every other trophy Whanganui has competed for has sat proudly in the display cabinet at Whanganui Rugby headquarters.

Jason, you have earned your retirement.

The only other honour you deserve is life membership of the Whanganui Rugby Union - I hope that follows soon.

GRANT MCKINNON
Otamatea

Vaccination division

I think I must be missing something, somewhere. There seems to be a growing division in our society, between those who have had the Covid jab, and those who have not.

I wonder how, if I am fully vaccinated, being in the same room as someone who is not, puts me in mortal danger? Yet this is the fallacy that so many of us are falling into. If it is true, then I would be rightly concerned to be in the same room as an unvaccinated person.

However, my understanding is that being fully vaccinated will prevent me from having any serious complications, should I contract the disease. So how can an unvaccinated person being in my vicinity be so dangerous to my health?

Please, stop this growing divide. We are all human beings, acting according to our own consciences. I know that many unvaccinated people have thought through their position very carefully, and are experiencing very serious consequences. Let us all agree to disagree, and stop this fear-mongering [abridged].

LOUISE ROSTRON
Springvale

Not broke, don't fix it

There is a piece of popular wisdom which says, 'If it ain't broke don't fix it."

Not only is the present domestic rubbish collection system "not broke", but it works very well.

Currently we use the Low Cost Bins company and put out our red bin once a fortnight. We also use a compost bin for food prep scraps, some garden waste and lawn clippings, and the compost is spread on our garden. Our recyclables we take to the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre, which is always busy.

The present system is excellent and the proposed changes would simply mean an increase in our rates for no purpose, i.e. a complete waste of money. I expect that most households are in a similar position to us and do not appreciate this proposal to raise their rates to fund a complicated and wasteful scheme.

It appears that the council bureaucrat who dreamed up this scheme does not have enough real work to fill his time. Perhaps he would be more productively employed getting a job with Low Cost Bins driving one of their rubbish trucks.

ELWYN EVANS
Gonville