A win-win for all, let’s truly help people up
A potential model for dealing with homelessness not only in Dunedin but in centres throughout the country could be an iteration of the following:
■Connect all local relevant agencies and organisations together. There is power, strength and efficiency in collaboration.
■Include local council from a resource, oversight and financial perspective. (It’s a city issue that costs irrespectively).
■Work with socially minded private property investors to increase room availability that have predetermined and monitored standards.
By combining the above there would be constant house(s) oversight and social and personal needs assessment for every resident which then would be followed up with individual plans and ongoing support for our most vulnerable to assist their transition back into mainstream.
This is just a very brief overview of course, but it is way overdue that we start to explore new encompassing models rather than reworking the fragmented "ambulances at the bottom of the cliff" approaches of old.
Let’s build a new and win/win system that truly helps people up.
John Le Brun
Fairfield
Facts and observations
I would dearly love to know where Jocelyn Harris gets her facts from (Letters 23.9.23) — obviously the same place that Labour get theirs.
To state most health outcomes have remained the same or improved would have to be a joke, right?
I don’t need figures or "fact checkers" to give me the statistics — you only need to read, listen to, or God forbid, enter an A and E department through necessity to see what they are all going through.
How can anyone state things have improved in the current state of our health system? She states a Grocery Commissioner will monitor prices to ensure customers receive the savings passed on through no GST — is he/she going to go around all fruit and vegetable retailers with a clipboard and calculator? I don’t think so.
Once again, another example of putting in rules, regulations and compliance but no-one does the actual checking or policing to ensure the benefit is passed on to us all.
I’m certainly not saying National is the be all and end all either but see it for what it is. Realistically, we can always find "experts", fact-checkers, academia etc to confirm one’s narrative (whatever it is) but in my opinion, it takes commonsense to use your own eyes, intelligence and research to glean what is fact or not.
Joyce Yee-Murdoch
Cromwell
As Jocelyn Harris stated in her letter, she referred to a team of academics at the University of Auckland’s Public Policy Institute. Editor
Bank scams
With reference to your editorial on bank scams (ODT 22.9.23), I found myself a victim when on Monday someone withdrew $1290.50 in cash from an ATM at a bank in Singapore, using my eftpos card details and pin. My credit card had been unused since its issue prior to this incident. I was in this country at the time, my pin had not been divulged.
Clearly, someone with access to my card details and pin had cloned my card and used it in Singapore. How safe is anyone with a card and pin?
I do think that banks should automatically block overseas withdrawals in cash. Travellers should have the onus of informing banks when they will be travelling.
What will the bank do to compensate me?
Lissa Weight
St Kilda
Climate change — time to live in the solution
Regarding calls for DCC to adopt a Zero Carbon Policy, in your article ‘Councillors to vote on Zero Carbon Plan’ (ODT 23.9.23), the use of emotive language such "life and death" "betrayal", "lose lives and livelihoods" are used to encourage the adoption of the policy.
I am by no means denying or trying to minimise the effects of climate change.
In 2022, the US consumed 513million tonnes of coal, 91.7% used to generate electricity.
Nothing Dunedin does is going to affect greenhouse emissions on any scale in the grand scheme of things.
The effects of climate change are obvious. Rather than wringing our hands and constantly focusing on the problem, can we not start focusing on practical, pragmatic solutions? For instance, rather than spending millions buying houses in South Dunedin, why not build dykes and install pumps and drains?
New Zealanders are good at being innovative and building. Maybe it's time we started to live in the solution.
Jerry Lynch
Mosgiel
Fixing stupid
I had to re-read Sally Wenley’s ACC claims for phone-related injuries on rise (ODT 26.9.23) twice regarding mobile phone use whilst moving.
Firstly, can it really be costing more than $3.7 million?
Secondly, was Dr Brodie, leader of a recent University of New South Wales study into messaging on the move, serious when suggesting that phone manufacturers could put warnings on screens that would need to be actioned when walking and texting?
An example given: “OK. Yes, I acknowledge”.
You can’t fix stupid.
Isla Tenbeth
Andersons Bay
BIBLE READING: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." — Matthew 5.7.
