There is no safe level of lead in one’s blood
Several statements by environmental scientist Andrew Nichols (Opinion ODT 18.8.25) are incorrect. It is unfortunate they made it into the ODT editorial of 23.8.25.
Sources of data for lead in New Zealand residential soils are listed in the Kāinga Ora — Homes and Communities Residential Property Soil Sampling and Analysis Plan, including a comprehensive study of soils in Dunedin.
These document numerous cases of lead in excess of relevant soil concentration standards for residential properties. The hazard is real.
He is correct that leaded petrol posed the highest risk to human health in the past. However, the exposure was not direct, but by inhalation of exhaust particles and ingestion of dust and soil contaminated with the exhaust particles. Those contaminated soils persist to the present day.
Lead-based paint is globally recognised as the most abundant current source of lead contamination in residential soils. An important update to the original paper incorporated data from the Dunedin Study.
These show that high blood lead levels measured for age 11 children were correlated with age of housing, strongly implicating lead-based paint as a principal cause.
There is no known safe blood lead concentration. This is why exposure to potentially ingestible lead should be minimised.
[Dr Mike Palin formerly worked in the department of geology, University of Otago. Editor.]
Under surveillance
On Friday 15.8.25, at 11.15am, I was parked in South Dunedin shopping area for 20 minutes and observed that in this busy two-footpath street most footpath traffic was using the south side.
This included a bicycle with trailer attached; two mobility scooters; two electric scooters; one skateboard; one sulky with child; one person on a walking frame, plus many on foot and some of those with walking sticks.
All the traffic above was successfully negotiating said pathway, thus making me wonder why a separate pathway was necessary in Albany St? It has two perfectly good pathways which could easily be negotiated by everyone at no expense or disruption to parking.
Why waste rates money on this vanity project when suitable infrastructure is already in place?
Not for me
Re the opinion piece by Elspeth McLean (ODT 20.8.25), which had the headline "Why are some people threatened by the use of te reo?"
She writes that she is not threatened by the increasing use of te reo for department names, place names, on passports or road signs. I personally have no desire to learn te reo and see very little use for it in a modern New Zealand society.
There are about 3% of the population who are fluent in Māori and 95% are fluent in English, with 2% fluent in neither. All the 3% fluent in Māori are also fluent in English.
The naming of government departments solely in Māori is an impediment to the public identifying who they need to deal with.
Anyone who wishes to learn the Māori language is quite at liberty to do so without involving me in it.
I am sure a customs officer inspecting a passport in France for instance has no idea what Aotearoa is but would instantly recognise the name New Zealand.
The mixing of two languages in written form does a disservice to both languages.
It is about time the feelings of the majority are considered in this matter, as the written form of the English language has been around for millennia and needs to be respected.
Striking difference between MP and teacher pay
Minimum qualification required: Teacher, bachelors degree; MP, none. Almost 22% of current MPs have no tertiary qualifications.
Starting salary: Teacher, $61,239; MP, $168,600. Starting salary in 1980: Teacher, $20,088 pa; MP, $24,828.
Percentage salary increase since 1980: Teacher, 300%; MP, 679%. A staggering difference
Highest pay level achieveable: Teacher, $103,086; school principal, $147,000; MP, $180,000; prime minister, $510,300. Pay increases over the next three years: Teachers offered 1% per annum; MPs guaranteed 3.5% pa.
Allowances: For the prime minister, from $22,606 to $25,600 by 2026, while all other MPs will go from $16,980 to $19,300. Teachers get nothing other than the odd teacher-only day.
Percentage of teachers earning over $100,000 pa, 60%; percentage of MPs earning over $180,00 pa – 100%.
And Nicola Willis wonders why teachers are so disillusioned that they feel justified in striking.
No prize for guessing why the likes of David Benson-Pope gave up teaching and ran for Parliament.
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