Water plan opposition reflection of distrust
Recent opposition to the Waitaki District Council’s preferred Water Well Done proposal is probably a reflection of the general lack of trust in the council rather than misinformation.
Take the Proposed District Plan. This now legally enforceable plan allows that certain people are allowed to access private properties to cut, dig and build without the landowner’s permission within the new wahi tupuna overlays. Conversely the same landowners can be required to consult with and pay whatever fee iwi deem appropriate in addition to council’s own consenting requirements.
The consulting process was haphazard and ultimately ignored the concerns of affected landowners. To their credit, councillors John McCone, Guy Percival and Brent Cowles opposed the plan which to the detriment of the Waitaki District community was approved in December.
One councillor even stated that people affected by the PDP can now "share the same feelings of loss and disempowerment and identity ... caused by the Kemp Purchase of 1848". Our community deserves much better representation than being held liable for what happened over 175 years ago.
Mark Hay
Oamaru
In-house backed
I am tired of reading Ben Bell’s accusations that Waitaki’s decision to nix a joint water company with Gore, Clutha and Central Otago is the "misinformed" decision of only 161 submitters in our public consultation.
Out of 300 submitters in the consultation, 85% favoured another option instead of the tie-up with those three districts. Only 15% supported Southern Water Done Well. Sentiment throughout the district was strongly in favour of keeping water in-house.
Faced with an election in three months, the Waitaki councillors suddenly realised that public sentiment was so strong that it had to be respected. That’s why the vote was 9-2 for continued in-house operation.
The Gore councillors are wrong to claim that government required them to approve Southern Water Done Well. There are 19 councils nationwide which have chosen in-house. Minister Simon Watts may be trying to bully councils, but this hasn’t scared the stronger councils in the past, nor will it in the future.
Mike Sweeney
Oamaru
No, it’s dire
Dire wolves, mammoths, moa ... .why? Any effort to bring these back from the dead, at this stage is ridiculous, what you get is nothing like the original. What you get is a Claytons version.
As has been shown, the dire wolves are only that in name. They are nothing like the originals, simply a white wolf with a few shredded DNA strands that amount to nothing.
If there was going to be money sunk into these sorts of folly projects I would much prefer it be spent on saving our current flora and fauna
Graham Bulman
Dunedin
Higher huts
Re the tragic death of Wednesday Davis on Mt Ruapehu (ODT 14.7.25). This is very sad indeed and the circumstances appear to be particularly distressing for the family, and they have my full sympathy.
I note however that the Whangaehu has been repeatedly reported as the "highest alpine hut in New Zealand". This is not the case by a significant margin. Whangaehu hut is at an altitude of 2080m while Empress Hut (at the top of the Hooker Glacier at Aoraki/Mt Cook) is at an altitude of 2472m, Plateau Hut (also on Aoraki/Mt Cook) is at 2200m, Centennial Hut (on the Franz Josef Glacier) is at 2400m.
Stating that Whangaehu is the highest hut in New Zealand puts an erroneous perspective on the story.
Derek Chinn
Queenstown
The naked skier ad. PHOTO: YOUTUBE
Overwhelming news and the bare essentials
Lorraine Adams
Oamaru
Enduring legacy
I was horrified to read Neville McLay’s letter (ODT 14.7.25). Can it really be true that the stadium will only last another 35 years, especially when you think that most old villas were built between 1890 and 1910.
Many will have been renovated in the past 35 years when the houses were already nearly 100 years old.
So the stadium is only to last about a quarter as long as the average old villa?
George Livingstone
Roslyn
Boo Sir Ian
It is so very sad to see all the knives pointed in direction of Dame Jacinda Ardern, the latest poison from Sir Ian Taylor. The combined threats and personal attacks made on her mainly through the cowardly medium of social media disgusted me.
Dame Jacinda succeeded in saving many lives when the country faced a relentless and deadly Covid virus. She was applauded and recognised upon the world stage. The mosque massacre and Christchurch earthquakes, she resolutely and bravely faced up to with utmost dignity sincerity and compassion.
Clive McNeill
North East Valley
Bravo Sir Ian
"Better late than never" as the saying goes. Recent comments ridiculing and criticising Sir Ian Taylor about his about-face opinion of Jacinda Ardern just goes to show that changing one’s mind and an admission of being wrong, is frowned upon and not appreciated by many. I, however applaud his honesty and bravery in publicly admitting his previous error in judgement.
Joyce Yee-Murdoch
Cromwell
Boo Sir Ian
I was disappointed by Sir Ian Taylor’s article on Jacinda. It read like a lovesick virgin teenager’s lament on finding the object of their adoration had feet of plasticene and a far-from-saintly past.
Most politicians who get the top job, with some exceptions, and Jacinda was no exception, do the best they can with the hand they are dealt. And with impeccable timing she quit when she realised she was no longer the solution but part of the problem. We don’t need to look far in the contemporary world to find exceptions who did neither. So we should be grateful.
I am absolutely delighted that Jacinda has found things to do and a means of earning a crust, after leaving us Kiwi ingrates for what she must see as greener and safer pastures.
I suggest Sir Ian plants his sour grapes in our great Central soil where they can turn to fine wine, and saves his rocks for his own rockery rather than use them as ammunition.
Morley Williams
Cromwell
