End us and them, work together on river plan
I am saddened by the "us and them" culture that has developed over the Manuherikia River. Most comments are made from a personal point of view without knowledge, or consideration, of the whole picture.
Firstly, the allocation of the Manuherikia irrigation water supply from Chatto Creek onward to the Clutha River supplies just three farms, but also four horticulture blocks and 71 lifestyle blocks. I have not heard any comments re the water requirements of this growing, non-producing lifestyle user of the Manuherikia water.
Secondly, if the ones only interested in the high minimum flow at the camping ground by Alexandra have their way at the expense of the established farming community then the Omakau township will lose its garage, engineering workshop, transport depot, sport teams, etc, etc, and the school will be severely downgraded. This must also have a flow-on effect to Alexandra businesses.
Why can we not work together for a solution? For example, a higher Falls Dam and the removal of willows from the river side. The amount of electricity produced at the Falls Dam now could be increased, while each mature willow tree can absorb between 300 and 400 litres of water per day in summer.
Most people seem unaware that the Falls Dam currently produces electricity, and no attempt has been made to reduce the ever-growing willow problem.
Scrap the lot
MMP must go. STV must go, and the people that invented these systems should be cauterised. FPP now also no longer works.
We need a set of decent managers to run the show just like any successful business does.
Political parties jostling for power rather than the economics of the country is just a game at our cost. Shame on you all.
If we are going to have three parties in a coalition government, then we must have three votes. That way, at least some of us will be represented by who we vote for.
Hospital lobbying
Lois Galer (ODT 17.10.23) reminds us and the incoming government of the National Party’s indignation at and commitment to put right the gradual shrinking of our new hospital.
However, it should be noted that the National member whose voice was loudest in this respect has been unceremoniously dumped by his party.
Stop the bus
Is Invercargill soon to lose its most significant open space in the central city, Wachner Pl?
One of the current proposals being considered is for it to become a bus thoroughfare to a new Distinction Hotel, through the heart of our community gathering and recreation space.
Our community needs our open space, its wind shelter, mature trees and restroom facilities. Keep the buses west of Wachner Pl.
Brightly coloured mural a dangerous idea
Cumberland St is part of SH1, and as such, is an extremely busy thoroughfare through the city. It caters for cars, truck, motorbikes. bikes, scooters and even hospital pedestrians.
Now some "bright spark" from HNZ "is looking for someone to decorate Dunedin Hospital’s Cumberland St overbridge". (ODT 7.10.23).
It is intended to paint a large, brightly coloured mural on the overbridge and have "a traffic plan and scaffold installed".
This is unbelievable — the traffic plan will mean more road cones, streets closed, congested streets and very frustrated, angry motorists.
That is bad enough but just imagine having an artist up on the scaffold painting, distracting drivers and blocking an important road. This is extremely dangerous.
So many streets have been (and are) closed already and locals are getting more and more frustrated.
I have seen fire engines, ambulances, buses, motorists and pedestrians having difficulty negotiating the CBD and neighbouring streets. Any delays could be dangerous or even life-threatening.
To gain support from the Dunedin Street Art Trust it appears that our "bright spark" from HNZ said that the mural "would be visible from the rooms where patients received cancer treatment". I would prefer this art funding to be used to assist cancer patients to pay for travel, medication or other support, rather than being wasted on a harebrained, dangerous and distracting brightly coloured mural. This idea should be dropped immediately and the money, set aside for this project, should be spent on health.
Solution for notorious intersection
I have just read yet another article re this notorious intersection and the danger of it.
Most of the danger could be quite simply eliminated if all the motorists stopped.
I travel this route quite frequently and I can honestly say approximately 25% of all vehicles on average don’t stop. Another minority slow right down and possibly think they stop, but actually don’t.
Stop means that your vehicle stops moving forward.
Once this happens, you have the time to take a final look to your left up the hill to see what traffic is approaching, and make a decision to cross.
A solution might be to erect a flashing sign before the intersection, saying stop sign ahead, (similar to the ones you see as you enter small rural towns that warn of your speed) and then flashing lights on the main stop sign.
Perhaps more motorists might get the hint.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
