The poll to worry about is the one this moment
Re the nation-wide mayoral poll article (ODT 1.3.25), it was reported that Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said that he was surprised ‘‘to be having disapproval’’ from survey respondents, who were asked to rate from very poor to very good, the job their mayor had done since the last election.
‘‘There’s a lot of positive things happening [within the council] that people aren’t aware of and will only come out during the long-term plan consultation,’’ Mr Radich was reported to have said. He was further reported as saying ‘‘So it’s just people susceptible to thinking about whatever they’re thinking about at any given time.’’
This weasel word sentence is, in my perception and belief, particularly dismissive and demeaning to the survey respondents, notwithstanding that it is also unintelligible gibberish. It is reported that Mr Radich hoped in future polls, that the government’s recent decision to go ahead with the new Dunedin hospital would reflect well on his ratings.
I think that the recent poll is far more important for Mr Radich to reflect upon now than on any future polls.
Caroline Cargill
Dunedin
Rain and pain
Re ‘‘First stage of tail to be completed by October’’ (ODT 27.2.25). Thank you Mayor Radich for rubbing my nose in the fact you have $1.8 million sitting in the kitty with no tag on it, so you’ll spend it on recreation purposes rather than uphold your election policy position of investing in infrastructure to deal with stormwater inundation. I’ll just continue to dread another storm and having the hill suburbs’ sewage spewing into my property when we get a significant rainfall.
Lynne Newell
South Dunedin
Curious call
It seems unusual that Meridian Energy should seek 20cm of additional drawdown below the present extreme minimum for Lake Te Anau, to be utilised in the event of a national security of power supply situation (ODT 1.3.25).
If it is just a matter of Meridian seeking to increase its total energy storage capacity, it would be better to do that by adjusting the Lake Pukaki lower limit downward and leave Lake Te Anau unchanged. Lake Pukaki already has a large operating range and a few extra centimetres would not have a great impact.
Earl Bardsley
University of Waikato
Old man river
I read with interest in the ODT (3.3.24) regards the health of the Kakanui river. How can the Otago Regional council claim to have it in hand and claim the river is not polluted?
It is a known fact that dairy runoff with excessive nitrates promotes algae growth which absorbs the oxygen from the water and builds up the nitrogen and phosphorous levels, choking and inhibiting the life of aquatic plants insects and fish species.
The river level is low but to claim it is solely because of not getting a big fresh to clean the river out is false. What about irrigation for dairy herds and effluent from those herds on to the land also being a factor to produce the algae during dry periods.?
This was unheard of back in 1950: the river always flowed, water was clean for swimming, trout were plentiful.
During whitebait season you did not have dairy effluent floating on the water surface, as it does 75 years later, and the river mouth opened naturally.
With dairy herds needing an abundance of feed and water for irrigation, many of our close in shore water ways to the sea from rivers, are being polluted in the same way.
Jeff Flannery
Oamaru
What sounds logical may not be so simple
Jack Caswell (ODT 4.3.25) makes the point that speed limits around schools should only be applied at drop-off and pick-up times. This sounds logical but is not always simple in practice. Drivers going past these schools on a regular basis get used to travelling at 50kmh. At specific times during the day they must remember to slow down and some drivers do not.
We had experience of this along Pine Hill Rd where there are four schools. We kept to the 30kmh limit at drop-off and pick-up times but were tailgated, hooted at and given the finger by several motorists in too much of a rush to consider child safety or perhaps did not realise that at that time they were required to reduce their speed. We wrote to the council explaining this and suggested an illuminated sign that is switched on at these times as happens at several other schools.
We received a reply several months later, after a reminder, that there were no plans to install electronic signs as funds were not available. This was to be reviewed when the new speed limit setting rule was published. Installing electronic signs may be costly but is an effective way of keeping children safe and ensuring those in a hurry are not unduly inconvenienced. What price child safety?
Brian Ellis
Pine Hill
A real person on the line is hard to find
Where has customer service gone? Long gone are the days when one could quickly speak to a real person. I have no criticism of the individual involved as I well understand what is required to speak a language which is not one's own. I do criticise the organisation who put the person in that sometimes embarrassing and ineffective position.
Getting through to anyone, understandable or not, is no longer easy or quick. Rather the caller is put through numerous choices, which on occasion give the desired result, but more often is nothing more than an easily failed intelligence test, while creating a less than positive impression of the organisation concerned.
Humphrey Catchpole
Dunedin
Sickening display
The sickening display of Hamas parading the coffins of deceased Israeli hostages should be universally condemned by the whole world. I wonder though, what will be the response from John Minto? Most likely it will be just plain, dead silence
Ashok Panjabi
Mornington
Unmakeable offer
Re Greg Glendining's latest uninformed dribble (Letters 22.2.25), he states Israel agreed to Palestinian two-state solution seven times, only to refuse it. Firstly, Israel is an illegal occupier of Palestine, proven by the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice of the United Nations. Israel cannot offer a two-state solution.
Maybe Mr Glendining might change his view if I come to his home, move in, destroy the bits I don't like, alter the back and front yards and ban him from these areas and if he complains get some bullies in to move him out. I wonder what the courts would say about that.
G. Palmer
West Harbour
