Mental health episode highlights concerns
I am writing to express my deep concern about the state of mental health support for young people in our community.
Recently, I encountered a situation that has left me both shocked and heartbroken, and I feel compelled to share it.
I was asked by coworkers to come and help with a young person I had never met who was clearly in the midst of a severe manic episode. They repeatedly expressed a desire to end their life.
My coworkers immediately contacted the police, but we are still waiting for their response some two days later as I write this letter. Fearing for their safety, I made the decision to take them to the hospital myself in my own car.
Upon arrival, we were placed in a hallway in the emergency department, where we waited nearly three hours. During that time, the only person who checked on them was a volunteer from St John — not a nurse, not a doctor.
Eventually we were moved to another area with appalling facilities to continue waiting for a mental health assessment, all while the young person’s manic episodes continued, completely unsupported.
I remained with this vulnerable young person for four hours, simply because there was no professional available to do so.
No-one should fall through the cracks like this — not a teenager in crisis and not a member of the public left filling the gaps in a system that is supposed to safeguard our most vulnerable.
This is a mess. We must do better—as a government, as a health system, and as a society.
[Name withheld for privacy reason. Editor.]
Carnage averted
So now Cr Lee Vandervis has thrown his toys out of the cot as well and gone to join Cr Andrew Simms sulking in the corner and sucking his thumb. "Pretentious" and "entitled" are terms that come to mind.
So much for working collaboratively for your community. Thank goodness neither of these two became mayor. Imagine the carnage.
Another planet
Just when insurers face horrendous bills for damage from extreme winds, fires and storms, we learn the government is moving in exactly the wrong direction to reduce carbon emissions — from agriculture and transport.
Despite the cross-party accord of 2018-19 and the Zero Carbon Act, the coalition parties have forgotten why we need a Climate Change Commission and are recklessly making major changes to our climate response. Lately they’ve lowered the targets for methane emissions, and now they incentivise imports of cheaper high-emission vehicles instead of their opposite.
While saying they abhor taxes, they punished instead of encouraging owners of electric vehicles, first by cutting Labour’s clean-car discount, then by slapping on the tax called road-user charges.
Now they’ve drastically lowered the clean car standard (ODT 20.11.25), meaning they’ve increased total emissions from non-electric cars. What planet are they on?
Railing about rails
A great photo of Becky Aitkenhead (ODT 13.11.25) but the thing that stands out is the poor state of the metal work on the sea wall railings. In the past, the only maintenance that has occurred is where sections have been washed away. Is the Dunedin City Council waiting for the rising sea levels to solve the problem?
Photo spread demonstrated settlers’ grand vision
I wanted to commend Gerard O’Brien (ODT 20.11.25) on his excellent portrayal of what there is to see and admire in the Dunedin Northern Cemetery.
Here in Dunedin we have one of the finest examples of the Victorian garden cemetery within New Zealand. The masonry, ironwork and planting allow visitors to understand the grand vision that early Dunedinites had.
This cemetery garden is rich with history and beauty and should be part of any itinerary that looks at exploring the wonders of Dunedin.
The Heritage Roses Otago group work in partnership with the Dunedin City Council to conserve original memorial plantings and maintain collections of roses including Scots roses and R. canina hybrids. Conservation is key and we work in conjunction with the National NZ Heritage Rose Register to find, propagate and grow on roses that are no longer available to growers.
I am part of a committed team of Heritage Roses Otago volunteers that help look after over 1000 heritage roses planted there. We hold working bees monthly and put in many volunteer hours to help preserve these special roses. The public are warmly invited to these.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: letters@odt.co.nz
