Urgency to change the law unnecessary rush
I hope I am not alone by being very alarmed at the spate of very important law changes passed ‘‘under urgency’’.
This means that the usual checks and balances of scrutiny by overseers of laws by government departments, and the select committee process, and free advice from the New Zealand Law Society, and public consultation, are entirely bypassed. What is so urgent about repealing the smokefree law? And the Maori Health Authority? The justification seems to arise from the 100 days fixation. Because we don’t have a written constitution or an upper House there seems to be no recourse against what increasingly looks like parliamentary thuggery.
Peter Sara
Dunedin
Means and method
Whilst I do not agree with the method that was used to poison the silver birch (Betula pendula) trees on the Lake Te Anau lake front, as reported (ODT 27.2.24), I can understand the frustration caused by having an inappropriate tree in the wrong place. The cause of frustration may well have been the impeding of someone’s view of the lake and mountains but there are other more important reasons for considering that this species is certainly not the right tree in this location - a native silver beech would have been more appropriate.
But what is more important is the health risk that silver birch carries. Silver birch pollen is one of the most common seasonal allergies. It can cause severe symptoms and is the most common pollen associated with Oral Allergy Syndrome.
A fine silver birch tree growing in an appropriate setting, away from residential areas can be most attractive. Silver birch should be removed from residential areas in Dunedin not just because they can be unsightly when not give the room to attain their natural growth form but because they are a health risk.
Warren Jowett
St Clair
Almost correct
G. Palmer (ODT 28.2.24) wrote: “they are conscripting old men and women” - this is almost correct.
Ukraine is targeting older citizens who have military experience as they are easier to train. They have a shortage of trainers and munitions so training the masses would be a waste of time and energy. The 18 to 25-year-olds are better used employed and contributing to their country; many are in IT and some of those have been conscripted into communication and intelligence.
How can stopping the invasion of a sovereign country by another not be seen as “humanitarian needs”? Civilians, property and infrastructure are all being destroyed by an invading country and there are numerous claims of “war crimes”. When countries think only of themselves, they are - to quote Fraser in Dad’s Army - doomed. I am anti-war but am unwilling to stand by and see “bullies” take over the world.
John Muskett
Hampden
Flex room needed
Ian Smith (ODT 2.3.24) should be careful what he wishes for. He says the Treaty, ‘‘set in concrete for getting on for 200 years ago’’ (sic) is no longer fit for purpose, and that we need a constitution. We have a constitution, just not a written and codified one.
The experience of other countries is that written constitutions get set in that same concrete and fail to adapt. For example, the American second amendment, granting the right to bear arms, is a product of its time. Its 21st century use to justify use of personal weapons was not foreseen by its authors. In Australia, only eight of 45 attempts to amend the constitution have succeeded, and so theirs is largely stuck in a 1901 time warp.
It is far better to have, as we do, a less rigid constitution, with principles able to adapt and respond to changing circumstances.
David Barnes
Lower Hutt
Maori Hill speed designations rile resident
A substantial part of Maori Hill roading has been redesignated as a 30kmh speed limit, loosely bounded by Highgate, Balmacewen Rd and Ross Creek, including a significant part of Highgate, a distributor route, and Cannington Rd.
This seems absurd and notably I haven’t seen a single adherence to the new limit, on any of the affected streets, none of which seem to warrant this outcome.
A 30kmh limit is reasonable outside of schools within prescribed hours, but is conventionally the kind of speed which would be temporarily reserved for roadworks and the like and is wholly unsuitable in a blanket sense otherwise.
Given this latest experience and if your paper’s regular reports of community disquiet over the activities of the council roading division are any indication, perhaps these are governance issues which our elected representatives might take an interest in and sensibly overturn.
Council staff might also be reminded that they are employed to serve the community, not to rule, lest we end up with the appearance of an unfettered tyranny of individual ideologies amongst boffins on stools at City Hall, who in the roading division often seem as incapable of communication and consultation as they are of outcomes of any distinction whatsoever.
W Sharp
Maori Hill
[This letter was referred to the DCC which declined to comment. Editor]
The killing moon
Ram raiding doesn’t kill a lot of people. Smoking does.
Stuart Mathieson
Palmerston
Speed zones seemingly confuse many
It is with some confusion that I write regarding speed restrictions around schools, particularly in the east side of Mosgiel.
I am a local resident and try to follow the speed restrictions in place during the times as displayed on the signs. My frustration is where these restrictions end.
Factory Rd has a sign adjacent to the old woollen mills which with my understanding involves a speed of 30kmh from that sign right up to Gordon Rd, along High St to the intersection of Wickliffe St, Church St to Wickliffe St from the Factory Rd end, and from the Kura sign just before St Mary’s School on Church St.
I would also consider Green St from Silver Stream School to Church St to be the same as it also passes Taieri College.
On these roads there are only four signs indicating the school zones and as a result less than 20% of vehicles are adhering to the 30kmh limit.
I frequently travel these roads during the speed restriction hours and am tailgated by frustrated drivers who are obviously not aware that they are in a speed restricted zone.
Could I ask the Dunedin City Council, through your newspaper, is my interpretation of the restriction incorrect or are drivers confused as to where the restrictions start and stop?
I truly think that the DCC have dropped the ball on this halfhearted attempt to make our school kids safer.
Neville Williamson
Mosgiel
[DCC transport group manager Jeanine Benson responds: The slower 30kmh speed limits were introduced around Dunedin schools, including in Mosgiel, to keep our kids safe. The changes were introduced as part of our Interim Speed Management Plan, which was the subject of public consultation before being agreed by council.
Your correspondent is correct – all drivers should be following the signposted speed limits within these zones, and we ask everyone to pay attention and slow down.]
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
