Sending in a boy to do the adult’s work
What does it say about the city when a 15-year-old college boy, Benjamin Paterson, fronts up to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to call for a return of international flights to Dunedin Airport?
While he’s about it, perhaps this boy could also put Dunedin Railways back on track. Doesn’t a legend tell us how a young boy saved the Netherlands from flooding by jamming his finger into a leaking hole in the sea wall?
The various councils, committees and teams supposedly leading and running the city should move over and allow some brilliance into City Hall. A dim lamp needs a fresh battery.
Paul Theroux’s travel book on this region, published in 1992, describes Dunedin as cold and frugal, with shabby streets and university students as ignorant, assertive and dirty. Have we moved on from this dismal mode?
Time to turn the light on. Bravo, Benjamin Paterson.
Yvonne Sutherland
Portobello
Restoring sense at Otago
A rearguard action might, I suppose, be pointless, but I cannot refrain from a cri du coeur at the university’s dreadful decision at downgrading its image, and spending thousands on putting up its new "logo" on the plinth by Cumberland St: a logo that has been likened to a pair of half-peeled bananas. For heaven’s sake, real universities don’t have logos, they have coats of arms, which stand the test of time.
And several more thousands spent on producing a turgid corporate-speak document on how the university might look in 2040. And at the same time, "saving" thousands by cutting staff. Talk about tin ears. What about 2024? What were they thinking? What are they doing to my university?
Sigh. More in sadness than in anger, I will continue, in retirement, with my small pro bono teaching commitment to senior medical students. I can only hope that future occupants of the clocktower will do what they can to restore some sense. Grant, are you listening?
Adjunct Professor Mac Gardner
Dunedin
Preposterous decision
After so many people argued against changing the logo, a university that is in financial difficulty somehow found the money to replace it with a logo that would turn the founders in their graves. I have no problem with a Maori subtitle below the original Otago University logo, however to go against the majority of a survey against this change is preposterous
R. John Wilson
Cromwell
Smarter than average
New World Wānaka think it’s OK to break the trading law but not OK for people to shoplift. It is all the law, and while you may say New World’s offence is not as serious as theft then again the owners of New World could be judged smarter than the average shoplifter.
Bruce Cloughley
Belleknowes
Sending a message
The death of thousands of innocent Palestinian people, especially those of young children, is heart-wrenching and is deplorable.
However, we need to look at the bigger picture, as so well explained in A. Levy’s excellent letter (ODT 2.4.24). In particular, we need to seriously consider (1) Hamas’ statement that it would repeat what it did on October 7 given a chance, (2) that this organisation has no compunction about using its people as human shields to achieve its aims. What kind of message does this give to other terrorist organisations around the world? If you are prepared to use innocent human beings as shields, you can achieve whatever you want.
James Irwin
Dunedin
Brightness, beauty what public art is all about
Re letter from Keith Spence (ODT 5.4.24). I am not sure I understand his comment about the "painted monstrosity on the boarding across the front of the historic council and town hall area".
To me it’s beautiful artwork and brightens up the area. Plus, somebody had the energy and the time to create something for the city. Well done.
And "reddish frame" ? Well, it’s different, it stands out, and makes people think. Both items are what art is about. But maybe people would rather the Octagon stayed grey and dull? Not me. I’m happy it’s brighter
Graham Spenceley
Wakari
New depths
Inequality in New Zealand has sunk to new depths when a prime minister with numerous rental properties gives himself and his ilk tax breaks on rentals and the Ministry of Social Development is directing Dunedin’s homeless to volunteers handing out tents.
The whole sad mess reverts back to decades of spineless self-serving politicians encouraging existing residential housing as a means of investment instead of putting single home ownership on a pedestal where it belongs and then penalising all other investment in residential housing other than new builds.
Unfettered investment in existing housing as a means to acquire wealth has denied so many folk the wonderful experience of home ownership for the whole of their lifetime.
It is the main driver of the shameful cost of rent and consequent poverty and inequality in New Zealand.
And thinking that there is no downside for investors from inequality; it’s a simple equation.
Inequality breeds resentment and resentment breeds crime.
Peter Scott
Waitati
Hand-wringing all fine but to what effect?
Here we go again wringing our hands in anguish about the Easter road toll on New Zealand’s roads. We seem to go through this after every holiday period but do not come up with any solutions as to how to prevent these crashes and explain what are the causes.
Many hours are spent investigating these crashes by the serious crash unit and roads are closed for many hours causing disruption to normal traffic, to what effect? What do we learn from these crashes that will help prevent further crashes?
I am visiting Perth, West Australia, and the total Australian toll for Easter was 22 deaths. Compared to New Zealand this rate per head of population is lower so maybe we can learn something from the Aussie, especially drug testing drivers.
Ian Fussell
Christchurch
Markets and shelter
I find it very disturbing that former National MP Bill English is in charge of a review of Kāinga Ora. The last National government’s performance regarding the provision of social housing was a complete failure. with a net loss of social housing under their watch and absolute denial of the housing crisis staring them in the face.
Mr English will no doubt argue the market will provide, which we all know is utter rubbish as it hasn’t so far and never will. He will probably recommend inadequate funding for Kāinga Ora so it will fail and then his recommendation that private companies should provide social housing will come into play but we all know how that turns out.
The trouble is there are too many Kiwis who buy into this rubbish. Proof IQs are falling in my opinion. Are coalition MPs aware that shelter is a basic human right? Probably not.
I am extremely worried about the future of this country.
Lou Scott
Kenmure
