A letter writer is now even more browned off
I wish to respond to Queenstown Lake District Council’s response to my letter in the ODT (10.3.25) in respect to the irrigation and parking on the Wānaka lakefront.
It would be helpful if QLDC would identify the person who made the response to my letter as the facts relating to the response are far from factual. The water that supplies the irrigation to the lakefront and Pembroke Park is from a separate supply from a bore on Pembroke Park quite separate from the main town water supply.
This was originally planned so that during dry spells water would be available at all times for irrigation, and would not be affected during summer months when possible water restrictions would be applied to the town supply.
It seems unbelievable that irrigation is installed to these areas and is not used during dry spells because some council bureaucratic policy suggests otherwise. We live in Central Otago and irrigation is essential to keeping our town pristine at all times.
With respect to the reply to the right angle parking in that area on Ardmore St, for vehicles exiting out of the parks it is impossible to not encroach on the traffic lane into oncoming traffic and hence becomes a very dangerous manoeuvre.
It should be noted that my original letter was sent to the editor of ODT on 25.1.25 and it appears that council has taken over six weeks to respond to these issues.
With respect, council employees and management appear to find it very hard to admit when huge errors are made in these very important developments in our district.
A math argument
In reply to my "ridiculous theory", as critiqued by the NZ Sea Lion Trust chairman, Mr Shaun McConkey (ODT 11.3.25). He is correct in stating that diphtheria, avian malaria, respiratory disease, by-catch, pollution, habitat destruction, resource competition, acidification and climate change all have a bearing on the wellbeing of yellow-eyed penguins.
These effects however are accumulative and impact over extended periods of time. The latest yellow-eyed penguin population census shows a near cliff type graph and catastrophic decline over very recent times. He also in his critique, no doubt intentionally, failed to mention the documented number of yellow-eyed penguins killed by sea lions along the Otago peninsula.
The latest census of the yellow-eyed penguin population along the east coast of the South Island, including Stewart Island in the 2024-25 season found only 143 nests and 286 adult birds. The offspring total was a mere 100 chicks. This gives an estimated total population of 386 birds.
It is on record that the first offspring of "Mum" (the first sea lion in 100 years to give birth on the mainland) killed between 20 and 30 yellow-eyed penguins on the Otago peninsula in one year.
Do the math.
[Abridged — length. Editor].
Outraged
We now read that electricity, vital for desalination of drinking water and for hospitals, is to be cut off from Gaza. This follows the blockage of the trucks carrying food and other desperately needed humanitarian resources.
Rumour has it that actual human beings live in Gaza, so presumably the hope is to condemn them to death by hunger and thirst and cold. We suspect that none of us in New Zealand would fancy that prospect, so could our government please call in the Israeli ambassador and express our outrage?
Wokey wokey, it’s free, open and democratic
Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters seem to be furiously copying Maga and accusing anyone who doesn't agree with greed is good, straight white people are superior, and let's smash the environment for the benefit of the wealthy, as "woke". For the record, woke means: intelligent, empathetic, and not bigoted, that is, non-racist, non-misogynistic and accepting of diversity. The opposite of woke is fascism. You know, what our parents or grandparents gladly fought to give us a free, open and democratic world. Woke up!
Old ways better
My question for the supplier in Dunedin of the new lunches in schools programme is why are you not making nutritious lunches for our kids? The bins full of discarded packets tell the story. I don’t think this is the general expectation that multiple companies are making a profit from this scheme. How many lunches are provided for in this way? The previous scheme was not perfect, but the hot lunches came in reusable pottles and while the cold option was lacking in excitement at least it offered an alternative.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
