Keeping oneself warm is keeping one healthy
I see the Otago Regional Council are getting on their high horse once again about air quality in Central Otago towns. It is winter time for heaven's sake.
During the current cold spell, we did without our wood fire and used electricity only to heat our home last Saturday. It is a well-insulated modern home with three bedrooms and a heat pump, which was boosted in two rooms by a small electric fan heater and an oil-filled heater when required. The oven was not used. The result is shown in the weekly usage graph attached.
Perhaps the ORC could take a leaf out of the Waitaki District Council's book and get rid of some of their unnecessary staff and either reduce their rates or subsidise the ratepayers for some of their electricity use over winter? Keeping warm is keeping healthy.
One size not for all
That is such good news about the Dunedin Kindergartens decision to avoid national governance (ODT 12.7.24). Look at what happened to the highly successful, financially stable Otago Polytechnic. It is now in deep strife with a new round of cost-cutting and looking at more staff redundancies.
So many organisations have gone national then fallen apart. One size does not fit all.
Rental markets
Every year, as I have done for more than 20 years, I look at the housing market, and run comparisons. When I compared Dunedin to Christchurch, I noted a significant difference in house rentals and quality of housing, so much so that it could influence Dunedin's development?
Students and businesses may decide to head north to the better lower cost housing in Christchurch. I noted University of Otago's numbers are down, and University of Canterbury enrolment is up. This means the Dunedin housing supply demand balance is likely to be significantly out of balance, to the detriment of the city?
I wonder what trends will be present next year, and possible correlations which might be observed — if in fact they are related?
Road works a burden on unwilling test subjects
There is an implicit contract when you use the roads: that, at times, your way will be impeded by road works.
However, road users are currently used as training subjects by private road signage companies for training simulations on public roads, without the opportunity to give informed consent to being a test subject.
On inquiry with the DCC, the legislation entitles the council to permit road signage contractors to do this. Council do not see the need to either require the private companies to give us the right to give consent via something as simple as a road sign in a location that would allow a change of direction; or to charge these private firms for the use of roads and public time, which seemingly has no value, even though it provides a saving for the private road signage companies.
Remember the past
Anaru Eketone (Opinion ODT 15.7.24) continues his litany of past grievances directed towards the Pākehā colonisers of this country. In the particular case of the battle of Orakau in 1864 you can understand his feelings because one of his ancestors was killed there.
But when Māori criticise Pākehā for invading and colonising this country they need to recognise their own past. For example, Ngāi Tahu invaded the South Island in the early 1700s, putting down by force other tribes who were already here. The Pākehā relative of Anaru who claimed that Māori treated the Moriori in a similar way to how Pākehā treated Māori was right. In fact the Moriori were treated much worse.
The past is important but I do think the time has come for Anaru to stop brooding about the past and accept the reality that we now live in a multicultural democratic society where all have equal rights regardless of historical wrongs.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
