A price to be paid, whoever owns Aurora
When I was interviewed at the time of the first public disclosure of Aurora’s failure to manage its network circa 2016, I proposed that Aurora’s network be sold for a fee simple of $1.
Tongue in cheek. I based this on the basis the company was being mismanaged by its senior management team and CEO, and the company was dictated to by the DCC council via Dunedin City Holding to make politically and mates-related transactions. Add to this being forced to borrow money to pay dividends.
Since then, the mismanagement and political interference has continued and the debt against the company to the DCC has blown out. While $1 billion sounds like a lot of money, with compounding interest servicing say $0.5m debt and lost investment opportunities this cost could well have exceed $1b over eight years.
Yes, rates in Dunedin may well drop but line costs will continue to increase. This will offset costs to Dunedin ratepayers but not so for Central Lakes District energy consumers already paying higher line charges.
The $0.5b in trust sounds good but question the DCC’s past record at making expenditure decisions.
The network is still in a bad state. While Aurora has spent money on shiny new poles, cross arms and substations, there are millions of dollars of protection, switching, indication, metering, telecommunications and control equipment in building associated with the network requiring upgrading to improve reliability and outages sizes, SAIDI minutes.
There is a looming problem and cost not far away due to power quality and power harmonics caused by the growth in electronic loads. A topic for another day. Decades of mismanagement and debt will still have to be paid no matter who owns the network.
Steve Tilleyshort
Retired engineer, East Taieri
No quick fix
It seems curious to me that over the past week we have seen more blaming and funny actions from the coalition and Labour over the Dunedin hospital. Accusations re-election promises, arguments over funding and Labour’s exhortations for others to front up just add more noise to this new hospital. To my mind Labour started the silliness some years ago when they promised to build the hospital and committed to an exact budget.
No itemised list was made public as to facilities or equipment that money amount would deliver. Some years passed and more promises were made as to beds, theatres, equipment etc. Then the wiggling really started with cuts made to meet a budget. I think the biggest question today is just how big a hospital can the current management provide people to run?
Every day we read of delayed care and all sorts of failing because Dunedin does not have the right mix and number of specialists, doctors, nurses, radiologists etc. What point is there to provide PET or other scanners if there is no-one to operate them? How many theatres do you need if you don't have surgeons? Expectations seem to be that a new building will suddenly fix Dunedin Hospital’s issues. That is far from the full truth.
Keith McCabe
Sunbury
Looking for the right word
Ask Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister, what the result of restoring interest deductability for landlords will be on rents. His answer: It will put "downward pressure" on rents so renters will be better off. Ask Christopher Luxon, landlord, whether he will reduce rents on his rental properties. His answer "No". His reason? His properties are mortgage free. So no pressure then for him to reduce rents in order to match what he predicts other landlords will do? Of course not. Is hypocrisy the word I'm looking for here?
Ruth Chapman
Dunedin
Taking an open-minded approach to speech
Why not show the public of New Zealand that the ODT truly follows the fourth estate’s stated fundamental principles using Winston Peters’ actual presentation at New Zealand First’s Palmerston Northmeeting.
The fourth estate claim: "Publications should be bound at all times by accuracy, fairness and balance and should not deliberately mislead or misinform readers by commision or omission. In articles of controversy or disagreement a fair voice must be given to the opposition view"
Winston Peters called to account the public statement of Rawiri Waititi, the co-leader of Te Pati Maori, and his party’s goal to achieve co-governance.
Mr Peters pointed out that the leadership of Nazi Germany had a similar view, that one race had superior DNA to another. This view ultimately led to the Holocaust.
I’m sure professional reporters could write an "accurate, fair and balanced article" which does not misinform or mislead readers by omitting the analogy used and not giving a fair voice to the narrow erroneous message when such provocative words as "Nazi" and "Holocaust" are repeatedly presented in isolation and out of context.
I believe it is incumbent on the media to fully inform the readers and viewers of both views and let them decide as to whose view is acceptable to them. The open-mindedness of such an approach would make a profound difference to the integrity of the media’s acceptance by the community.
Stan Randle
Alexandra
[Abridged — length. Ed]
Reunion
Clinton School is celebrating its 150th jubilee on the weekend of November 15-16, 2024.Visit www.clintonschooljubilee.co.nz to register, or email clintonschooljubilee150@gmail.com
