Six cheers for new marine reserves
Hooray for six new marine reserves off Otago. Finally Otago’s fantastic and exceptional marine life and habitats are recognised as the taonga they are, and a tiny fraction of them protected from human interference. One could have wished for more area, but it’s an excellent start – there was dancing in my office when the announcement was made.
To the unhappy fishing community, our message should be "Watch This Space". Areas where fish can reproduce and grow is exactly what our declining fisheries need – in most places where marine reserves are established, the improvement in fish stocks over the years convinces locals to love them.
Give these marine reserves a chance, let them do their jobs, and there will literally be "plenty more fish in the sea".
Abby Smith
Professor of Marine Science, University of Otago
Cycleway praised
I went for a stroll with my walker along the new cycleway from Port Chalmers and marvelled at the sheer magnificence of the work that has been done by the engineers and designers of this work of art.
In the creation of a world-class cycle and walkway right on our glorious harbour and looking across to the picturesque peninsula it was an absolute joy to be able to participate in the finished product.
I noticed all the details of the construction, down to the bevelled edges of the wooden railings, the strength of the wire walls, the sloping granite roadside walls, seats and rubbish bins for our use. It provides endless enjoyment for generations to come and to experience our unique city in all its charms, and right on our harbour.
Thank you to the engineers and designers for such beauty in your work.
Sandra McElrea
Port Chalmers
Friendship recalled
My father was in the US Navy on a cargo ship called the USS Merrick. While on an expedition with Admiral Richard E. Byrd, the ship became disabled by pack ice near Antarctica. It was towed to Port Chalmers for repairs in the spring of 1947.
During the month the ship was in port, my father, Neil D. Josephson, the Merrick's doctor, was befriended by a man named Myers, or possibly Meyers. Mr Myers maintained a friendship with my father for many years, even visiting our family in Connecticut at one point. I wonder if anyone knows the family or if any family members might know anything about this friendship. If so, I would be very happy to hear from them.
Russ Josephson
USA
What would the frigid early settlers think?
One considers what Dunedin’s early settlers would think of modern Dunedin with its many conveniences. Those early settlers lived in a frigid frontier town where the streets were regularly reduced to a sea of mud. Diseases such as typhoid and cholera were rife because of a lack of drainage and clean water. When Dunedin began constructing its first sewer system in 1863, it discharged human waste into the upper harbour. Those settlers would be amazed to witness today’s clean, paved, and well-lit streets and the upgrading and replacement of Dunedin’s underground pipe network. Faultfinders who haunt these columns lamenting the supposed agony of ratepayers and business owners may do well to remember the struggle of Dunedin’s early settlers. Thankfully, they can visit a free museum and library to gain some historical insight.
EVs a stop-gap
The current push to convert the world's car fleets to electric is not environmentally friendly, or sustainable. Apart from the huge disposal cost of used EV batteries and the vehicle loss in value as the battery loses performance, there are huge unknown environmental issues because now the battery performance (range) has been enhanced, the batteries generate much more heat . So in an effort to reduce this companies have developed new thermofluids to encase the battery to cool it. In an accident the pollution risk from this is very high and the effects of these fluids is unknown. Superchargers for these batteries now also have to be encased in thermofliud to combat the heat.
Heat issues are well known: if the EVs burn, they are difficult to put out. They will also pollute the area. EVs are short-term stop-gaps until hydrogen comes viable. Nothing is friendly about EVs.
Christmas is more confusing as years go by
I am becoming very confused about Christmas. We call ourselves a Christian country, but don’t want to offend other religions. To that end, traditional carols are not allowed in many primary schools. Last year they were conspicuous by their absence around the towns and shops. However, Christmas shopping, and advertising has started already. Christmas carols have been part of our heritage for years, irrespective of your religious leanings, and countless children have learned and sung them. I find this very sad.
Christmas stamps are out and while attractive, are subtly referencing Christmas, with silhouettes of symbols such as trees, angels etc attached to a beautifully wrapped present. The jury is out on this one. Mr Fawkes is still going strong though.
Shameful irony
Your revealing report on the homeless in Dunedin (ODT, 7.10.23) was followed directly by two full pages advertising "private luxury residences"—"From 1.45 million". We do not need to dig into the 19th century to recognise the Two Nations.
Good advice?
In "Costs of comfortable retirement rise: study" (ODT, 5.10.23) Massey University Associate Professor Claire Matthews has given financial advice which I, as a financial adviser, do not consider smart advice. She encourages people to invest more than the minimum payments into KiwiSaver. In most situations, my advice has been to invest the minimum into KiwiSaver to secure the maximum associated benefits and establish a similar "diversified" investment with any other retirement savings which can then be easily accessed, if ever required. Access to KiwiSaver is very much restricted prior to achieving 65, the age of entitlement to superannuation.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
