Mining royalties talk is short-sighted suggestion
The discussion that mining royalties from Bendigo (and presumably other mines in future) may be beneficially used to fund rates or infrastructure in Central Otago (ODT 16.9.25) is short-sighted and yet again leaves the local community out in the cold.
Will these same ratepayers not also have to pay for the inevitable long-term environmental damage and suffer the reputational harm to our existing tourism and wine industries that will see fewer visitors enamoured by our "100% Pure" image? And who will pay for the reticulated water systems already being flagged by Santana experts as likely being required because the aquifer will be polluted?
We need to see a comprehensive and independent analysis of adverse effects and have these included in any economic analyses that includes long-term impacts. Not just the period the mine company comes and goes and leaves us with the cleanup. And we would need a long-term bond that stacks up, not merely a cheap payoff as is currently the norm for overseas mining companies in New Zealand.
An assessment of underground mining options to reduce surface environmental impacts also needs to be part of this
analysis.
End of life choices
My family has experienced the trauma of watching someone we love die badly, so we’re grateful to MP Todd Stephenson for sponsoring amendments to the End of Life Choice Act (Opinion ODT 15.9.25).
For us, the most important is the proposal to replace the requirement that a person be "likely to die within six months" with a requirement to have a disease that is "advanced, progressive and expected to cause death". The reason is simple: doctors cannot predict time-to-death and they have been telling us that for years.
Cancer is the most predictable disease but what if you are among the over 70% whose slow killer-disease is of the unpredictable type?
If you can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t communicate and know it will only get worse before you die, palliative care, as wonderful as it is, just doesn’t cut the mustard. Suffering isn’t just about physical pain and painkillers.
Read and refresh
Victor Billot’s article on local election politics (Opinion ODT 11.9.25) was so refreshing. I hope some of the pompous, entitled ( or just plain ignorant) political aspirants, who are not even aware they have political views, will read it and be awakened.
However, it is not only local politicians who need to wake up to reality. I would like to see all voters at the general election wake up to the fact that our health system is being privatised at a rapid rate. And once awake, ask your candidates for Parliament how many shares they have in the lucrative private health business. And while they are at it, how many houses they own.
Chain gang
The Anglican clergy chaining themselves together outside Nicola Willis’ office have seemingly forgotten the horror of October 7 committed by an army of Gazan citizens. They should be calling out Hamas and their supporters to release all hostages.
"We want our leaders to show moral courage and to stand with those who are absolutely bound at the moment in suffering." Namely the Israeli hostages.
Does Jewish blood not matter? Apparently not. The theatrics that assail our streets on behalf of the aggressors does us no credit.
Confusion caused by contradictory claims
I am confused. The University of Otago has claimed in recent months to be dealing with funding shortfalls, (so PhD scholarships are being re-jigged, courses reduced etc).
The university has also complained that the Dunedin City Council hasn’t done enough to "plan for a massive influx of students" (ODT 6.5.25).
During exam time the university is stretched for space. Why then is a university that is financially constrained and expecting increasing student numbers wanting to bulldoze four lecture theatres and put in a gothic garden?
Demolishing things costs a lot of money. So does landscaping and garden construction. It is hard to know what to believe when there are such contradictory statements made.
May I suggest that university management figure out (and communicate) what they actually are trying to achieve before spending money they supposedly don’t have on demolishing lecture theatres they supposedly will need to replace with a garden that nobody is asking for?
1923 called and left a message re maintenance
I was an electricity meter reader for Delta of 17 years. We had contracts with numerous electricity retailers.
I was often asked how to reduce electricity costs and which retailer was the cheapest. I had to be diplomatic as I represented a number of retailers. Personally I often switched companies trying to get the best price.
I have given up doing that because I find my line charges are higher than the unit charge. If I use zero electricity I am still charged over $100 a month just to stay connected. These changes encompass a metering fee ( I was made redundant due to smart meters), a local network charge and transpower network charge.
Aurora is the company that charges customers/ratepayers this local network charge. As ratepayers we own Aurora but are charged high line charges because Aurora borrowed $750 million to upgrade a network that was at the end of its life and maintenance had been deferred for too long.
Be sure these charges will only increase. In addition our water connections are in such a bad state that water/sewage metering is inevitable. At present homeowners/landlords pay a Three Waters charge. If metering comes in tenants will be charged as well as landlords.
Costs will continue to rise with these essential services mainly due to the fact that upgrades both local and national have been deferred.
I also had a job as a power pole inspector. The oldest pole I inspected was installed in 1923.
Power in a union
Our students' collective strength was seen at the recent OUSA general meeting and is an example of collective power, requiring the OUSA to take a stand against Palestinian oppression. With our local elections very close it’s an incentive to study the large list of candidates to lead Dunedin into an exciting future.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: letters@odt.co.nz
