Letters: Civic studies, democracy, Crown investments, climate-damaged properties, King’s Birthday honours, and Wayne Brown

Civic studies

The editorial ( “… warning for non-voters”, NZ Herald, June 5) reveals a deep concern about voters’ lack of commitment to the maintenance of our democratic system. At every election, voter turnout is
dropping. And as each election looms, we see the media trying desperately to educate people, to urge more of them to get out and vote – as the Herald is doing here, in its King’s Birthday editorial. There is clear evidence that the majority of voters are woefully lacking in knowledge about how Government actually works. And many don’t understand the inherent responsibility all of us have – to maintain our democracy by voting. What people know comes either from what the media is telling them, about populist issues, and compounding poll results; or from the opinions and prejudices of their parents, or friends. This ignorance applies particularly to the widespread lack of understanding about the role of party Ideologies, as a sure predictor of what will drive each party’s policy-making, once in government. To rectify this, “Civics and Democracy” should be taught in schools – as a minimum two-year subject, starting at Year 10 (14-year-olds). NZ is too small, and our election cycle too short, to have to continually endure the results of elections where the outcomes continue to be decided by abiding voter ignorance. “Civics and Democracy”, taught in our schools, would correct that permanently. Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.

Caring minority

Your editorial (NZ Herald, June 5) may be flawed in the opinion of many. Surely it is preferable to have the result of an election determined by the portion of the population who care enough to actually vote, than the result of a majority of the population who do not care enough to vote? Further, the 180,000 people who voted for Wayne Brown, I imagine, are very happy with his performance so far. Bob Blakey. Mission Bay.

Gateway reviews

The National Party spokesperson on transport wants transparent Treasury gateway reviews of Crown investment projects. That is a bad idea. Gateway reviews are commissioned by Treasury using independent people of relevant experience. The reports, prepared in a five-day quick pass by a small team, are for the project manager in the commissioning agency. They give advice, flag issues and give the project a score as to its fitness. Participants are told they are otherwise confidential and there is no attribution of interviewees’ opinions. The reviewers have no other engagement with the project. Treasury uses the fitness scores as one source of information in deciding on readiness for investment or the likelihood of planned completion. From my experience as a reviewer in a dozen or so reviews I am quite certain the usual willing participation by those involved would be lacking if the reports were going to become political fodder. A valuable process is best left as it is. Garry Law, Dannemora.

Climate damage

I am sure the owners of flooded or collapsed properties who are being bought out by the Government and local councils are very grateful for this intervention. About 700 unlivable homes nationwide built on flooded or eroded land exposed to climate change-induced extreme weather damage will benefit from this buyout costing about $1 billion, so far. Grant Robertson says the Government is committed to helping local councils compensate those who have been affected by having homes in flood plains and on clifftops. That’s all well and good for those fortunate owners. Lucky them. Where are the Government and council buyouts or compensation for unfortunate buyers of leaky buildings? They too have been equally affected by the increasingly extreme weather exposing the poor watertightness of shoddily built homes and apartments. Apparently, if you build on a poor site you’re compensated for nature’s fury. Buy a flawed structure signed off by council inspectors that quickly becomes a major liability for owners who trusted the building code and greedy developers, and you’re largely on your own. Doesn’t seem fair to me. Jeff Hayward, Auckland Central.

Overloaded drains

The January floods were undoubtedly a wake-up call for many Aucklanders. For those who thought that the worst impact climate change might have on Auckland was a climate a bit more like Australia and nice warm water to swim in at the beach, the nightmarish prospect of a Blade Runner-style dystopian future where it is always raining and miserable suddenly became very real. We also gained an immediate answer to the question of what happens to the stormwater system when you drastically reduce the permeable ground surface area and replace it with rooftops funnelling millions of litres into the drains. My expectation of the council and Government in light of this would be to urgently review the rules around what can be built where. The National Party has clearly decided that the Act Party was right in voting against the generic three homes, three storeys intensification rules for precisely these reasons. Whether you see this as learning from your mistakes or flip-flopping to garner votes in the next election may depend more on your political persuasion than your capacity for rational thought. John Christiansen, Mt Albert.

Poor investments

Regarding the $1b buy-out for properties affected by weather events (NZ Herald, June 2), if property owners want taxpayers to bail them out when they’ve made a bad investment, when they’ve failed to do due diligence, or when the market turns against them — will they be willing to help out the poor investor whose shares head south? It seems we’ve confused our homes with investment opportunities. We must forever break from this cycle of land speculation. Only then can people live with dignity close to where they work, and instead invest in productive, job-creating industries. Ian Swney, Morrinsville.

Depriving science

A fine opinion piece by Andrew Rogers (NZ Herald, June 1) on the teaching of science and what low priority it gets. He suggests one reason is that these subjects are considered elitist in some quarters. But for many decades our politicians have had as their main policy that New Zealanders should keep down with the Joneses. Roger Hall, Takapuna.

Honour role

I counted more than 150 recipients of “honours” in this year’s list. I also had to investigate the difference between “companion” and “grand companion”. I would imagine that the whole thing seems ridiculous and an anachronism to our younger citizens. I can vouch personally that an immediate relative of mine was granted a QSM without working in a soup kitchen or helping those less fortunate, but just gave away enough money to receive it. How many of these recipients were simply doing the job (well) that they were paid to do? Hamish Walsh, Devonport.

Beyond words

Your correspondent Gavin Kay (NZ Herald, June 5) asks what Wayne Brown is “doing as mayor of Auckland”. He is desperately trying to cover the huge $395m debt left by the previous mayor Phil Goff and his Labour-stacked council, on top of which he has to find the funds to cover the damage wreaked by the January flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle. Remember the old proverb: “Actions speak louder than words.” Alice Muir, Lynfield.

Pronounced criticism

I read in the letters section (NZ Herald, June 5), criticism of our mayor, for mispronouncing Whangārei. To be fair and correct, everyone should try to speak place names in the manner of their origin. For example, Coromandel should be pronounced as a native of India would, Invercargill as a Scot and Pt Chevalier as in France. Or, some people should just let the mayor do his job and not be so trivial. Lindsay Johnston, Sandringham.

Colourful language

While the increasing usage of te reo Māori is to be welcomed, we need to be mindful that road signage must be capable of being assimilated very quickly by all drivers. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency needs to liaise closely with MBIE and Tourism New Zealand, whose inputs should form a major part of their survey. It is vital that all tourists (and all residents of this wonderful country) be able to assimilate road signage quickly and safely. From a road safety perspective alone, I believe that English should be the more prominent language on road signage, but that it should also incorporate te reo Māori as the less prominent language, and in a different colour. For example, the English in white and te reo Māori in yellow on the blue highway signage. I have no interest whatsoever in the political discussion on this subject; my focus is purely on safety. My background is over 40 years’ experience at senior level internationally in maritime and aeronautical safety, where the International Maritime Organisation and the International Civil Aviation Organisation regulations dictate that, for safety reasons, English is always the language that is to be used. Brian Mullan, Silverdale.

Forced starvation

The article (NZ Herald, June 2) regarding the Holodomor struck a deep accord within me, because my late mother was a survivor, being days away from death by starvation. She described this tragic event in great detail and in the book she wrote, Through Fire and Over Water. This made me wonder how the average New Zealand farmer would react to an event like forced collectivisation, when a government approaches them telling them they have a deal they could not refuse. Firstly donate your farm, stock and chattels to the locally run state collective farm, and if they join the collective farm, the state would permit them to live in their homes and labour at the collective farm for a morsel of bread. If a farmer refused this generous offer the state would send around armed thugs to seize all the farmers’ food, harass his family and refuse to sell food to the non-conforming farmer at the locally owned state store. With travel restrictions in place the farmer faces a slow death by starvation, as happened in Ukraine in 1933. That is what Russian peace looks like: become a zombie or perish. Alec Krechowec, Glendene.

Short & sweet

On census

One of my concerns about the bribes being offered to those recalcitrant census fillers is – how reliable even is the information they provide? Fiona McAllister, Mt Maunganui.

On signs

Would you advise us of the English translations that will be used on road signs for Rotorua, Whangamatā, Hokitika? G. Keith Overend, Tauranga.

On republicans

Do those who advocate Aotearoa New Zealand becoming a republic realise that an unintended consequence will be that they will lose King’s Birthday as a public holiday? Will this dim their enthusiasm for change? John Olesen, St Heliers.

On Jones

Shane Jones (NZH, June 2) is a very impressive thinker, analyst and writer. New Zealand urgently needs people of his calibre to help run the country before it sinks beneath the waves of mediocrity. Time is running out. John Hampson, Meadowbank.

On cities

Thank you for publishing a letter from Victoria Lowe (NZH, June 2). For too long we have been trying to make Auckland bigger by cramming in more people, Fresh thinking is needed. William Charles (Charlie) Potter, Pukekohe.

I admire and respect the thinking of Victoria Lowe (NZH, June 2) on development of new town environments like Kaipara. Could the Kaipara Harbour become a new container port for Auckland with some quality engineering vision, so close to rail and road away from the congestion at ports of Auckland? Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.

The Premium Debate

Developers with watchdog warnings given Govt underwrite

The prices the Government has to buy the houses at aren’t below market value. They are at market value or above. Otherwise people would have purchased them. The “discount” agreed at the front is also based on jacked-up starting prices. The Government knows that but is okay with it because it allows it to claim houses being built by developers as KiwiBuild homes. It’s ridiculous. Olivia H.

“… In Wolfbrook’s case, the Government has agreed to buy some of the houses in its Waiwhetū development, at below the market price, if they don’t sell once built…” At below the market price. Susann S.

Have you (or the Government) seen a registered valuation for the properties, Susann? James M.

Wonder who made this decision – more taxpayer handouts to mates? Alan B.

Lower Hutt is awash with new developments everywhere. The house prices have sunk 30 per cent in the area and these developers are up the creek without a paddle. This is not about providing homes but about using taxpayer money to subsidise an error in judgement. Banks are rightly not lending on developments in this area due to oversupply and little demand. The Government is blinded by ideology and we’re being taken for a ride. Mark I.

In the meantime, every neighbour living near these houses (who have worked their backsides off to own their own house) will probably now live a life of misery; noise, fights, well, you get my drift. Thousands of neighbourhoods around New Zealand have been destroyed by this Government. Disgraceful. Peter B.