If we make up lunch, then don’t muck it up
We should remember this is not the first time taxpayer-funded calories for school children have been around. I myself benefitted from the free school milk programme and home economics classes, where we made food with ingredients supplied by the school and took said food home.
The important question, whatever your opinion is of taxpayer-funded calories for our children, should be is the food fit for purpose? Do we tax fund lousy food to save $132 million a year, or bite the bullet and say David Seymour got this wrong and return to the previous more costly model?
I have no doubt the firm will increase prices in time and the taxpayer will end up back where we were cost-wise, with an inferior product
There is an education benefit beyond feeding kids lunch that only schools can provide. Teaching children to grow, cook and identify healthy food options has future benefits for all of society.
If we are going to do this let’s do it properly.
Browned off
On a recent drive along lower Ardmore St adjacent to the lakefront I was astounded to discover all the new grass browned off with the recent hot weather.
As I understand an irrigation scheme at some considerable cost was installed at the same time to water the grass during summer, it would appear that this is not working properly or has broken down at a critical time. Could Queenstown Lakes District Council please explain why this area is not being watered properly? Pembroke Park is also suffering from lack of water. The officer may also like to comment on the management of the park.
While on the subject it is quite clear the traffic plan for this area does not meet the expected outcome, the right angle parking is unsafe and quite dangerous for vehicles entering and exiting the lakeside parking. This is holding up through traffic this time of the year and creating long queues and a buildup of traffic.
It should be noted that a retired traffic engineer living in Wānaka submitted to council at the time of planning, suggested that this would happen, and angle parking would be the best option, but being council they thought they knew best.
This is just another example of Queenstown Lakes District Council’s inability to manage capital projects in a timely and efficient manner.
[The QLDC responds: "When making decisions on maintaining public reserves council has to strike a balance on behalf of ratepayers between appropriate use of water, ground conditions and the realities of our district’s climate. The lakefront endures the full brunt of our hot, dry summers that coincide with heaviest public use. Even when topped with grass it remains effectively a beach where free-draining gravel will never retain much moisture. It’s very different from our lawns at home. We can keep the grass in decent condition for most of the year but browning off in the drier months should be expected.
Council’s irrigation systems have been operating normally on the lakefront and Pembroke Park. Most summers we ask people to conserve water around the home and garden. It’s only right that council makes similar decisions around its own water use, even if this might result in some public reserves reverting to a more traditional Central Otago appearance temporarily.
Several parking arrangements were considered for this location as part of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan. The latest traffic engineering standards showed that angled parking was unsafe for this specific stretch of Ardmore St. Hence a design that allows space for vehicle to reverse and turn without entering the traffic lane.]
Ambition needed to tackle air quality issues
It is disappointing to see the Otago Regional Council’s lack of ambition and leadership when it comes to cleaning up the air quality, particularly in places like Alexandra, Arrowtown and North East Valley in Dunedin.
There is no doubt winter pollution in these areas (and others) is causing causing health problems and unnecessary early deaths. The major cause of this pollution is known to be wood burners and vehicle emissions. However the regional council will not look at banning woodburners on the premise that they provide the cheapest heating. This is generally untrue, as per KW of heat, a heat-pump will be more cost-effective than a woodburner, if you factor in the price of firewood, or the time and effort it takes collect and prepare the firewood if you have a source.
If you also take into account the real cost of pollution in terms of both health and the contribution that burning wood makes to climate change (just as bad as coal if you look short to medium term), there is no question that moving to all electric is by far the best option. True leadership at the ORC would be strongly promoting this, and examining the barriers and misinformation that is leading to people knowing or believing this to be true.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
