Has some nice touches, but no need to close road
Recently, my wife and I walked the length of the closed section of Queens Dr. We disagree with the closure, believing it to be a waste of the council’s scarce funds.
However, we were impressed with the table tennis table at one end. It is a pleasant amenity. We also thought that the bar stools at the other end provide a great place to sit and eat.
Neither of these require the closure. The bar could easily fit on the grass area near the table tennis table which could also host other picnic-related facilities. The painted lines defy belief.
The road itself has a perfectly adequate walking track.
A passing cyclist suggested that the closure was to prevent fly-tipping of rubbish and assaults on pedestrians. If those are valid reasons then perhaps all of Queens Dr should be closed, along with streets around the Octagon.
The closure has spoilt a lovely drive on which we have taken visitors to Dunedin.
Rory and Christine Butler
Dunedin
Major generalisation
I was disappointed to read in today’s ODT (Letters 12.2.26) comments implying that every student spends their money on alcohol and gambling before considering food, rent, etc.
This is a major generalisation. Just because a liquor store has a long line doesn’t mean that every single student is doing the same thing and it also doesn’t mean that the first thing they’re spending money on is booze as soon as their pay comes in.
Why don’t we think of solutions to our drinking culture or the aggressive advertising from gambling companies? Why don’t we look at how we lower the costs of food and rent so that students can afford to enjoy themselves once in a while?
Without students, Ōtepoti’s local economy would flop and we’d lose most of our culture and charm.
Don’t pretend you don’t have a couple of glasses of wine before bed. Let’s focus on solutions.
Tyler Proctor
Dunedin
Comment rankles
I have just read Jo Galer’s comments on Aaron Hawkins standing against her for councillor in the upcoming by-election: ‘‘He is a failed mayor,’’ she said. (ODT 9.2.26))
This sort of personal put-down is straight out of Trump’s playbook and I’m not voting for any candidate who uses it.
Enough of this nonsense - I want useful, co-operative adults in this job, not childish point-scorers.
Steve August
Dunedin
Concrete suggestions welcome on hydro sites
Alan Leitch (Letters 12.2.26) warns Earl Bardsley that didymo pumped from the Clutha River into Lake Onslow - a man-made lake - would be illegal.
As global warming tracks 3°C to 4°C, Earth will pass several tipping points. Civilisation will not survive the upheaval.
On a scale of one to a million, transferring didymo won't be on it.
Russell Garbutt (Letters 12.2.26) believes Dr Bardsley (from Waikato University) ‘‘forgets’’ most electricity is used in the North Island and warns pumped hydro at Lake Onslow would cost $16billion.
No hydro station in New Zealand has cost more than $2.8b in today's dollars. Whatever Onslow costs, it would be an asset.
The government-proposed lng installation is a liability. The cost of more than $1b is only the beginning. We still need to buy the gas while wind and sunshine are free.
Worse, we would be locked into a contract to buy a fixed amount whether we needed it or not. At least coal can be bought as required and stored.
The real answer is to install solar on rooftops and turbines on hilltops and build a pumped hydro scheme somewhere.
Dennis Horne
Auckland
Show and tell not consulting
I attended Santana’s community drop-in session in Alexandra recently, expecting a presentation and vigorous debate, both to inform and challenge.
What I found was lots of empty space, large charts on the wall containing maps and information, each highlighting points Santana wished to make. People read the information, asked questions of staff there and left.
This is not ‘‘widely consulted with the public’’, as Santana expresses it.
This is show and tell. I propose Santana holds a public meeting, with presentation from Santana, to allow debate of the issues.
Liz Herrick
Alexandra
Benefits accruing
Otago's heritage and infrastructure was financed by the gold industry, starting in the 1860s. Dunedin’s economy boomed.
Since then we have had phases including roading, railways, towns, hydro-electric development.
Then came farming, mostly livestock, and some cropping: hay was big, as winter feed was essential. Farming developed into producing high standard fine wools. Cattle for beef followed.
I was involved in engineering - we produced gates, farm buildings and sold farm machinery. Tourism developed and has certainly had its ups and downs, Then came the horticultural phase, including the wine industry, which has made big changes to the landscape.
However these ‘‘new’’ ventures seem light on real financial gains for the region as a whole; coupled with the rapid increase in population, they leave local government in a hole over costs of necessary infrastructure.
When we have the opportunity to host a new industry into the area, we have to ask ourselves can we afford to turn away the benefits: real jobs, full-time jobs, a revenue stream that will help us fund the new infrastructure we desperately need - for bridges, roading, health and education.
Graham Taylor
Luggate
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: letters@odt.co.nz
