Letters to the Editor: DCC, the uni and genocide

Otago Daily Times

18-05-2025

Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including a reminder for our city councillors, reprioritising the university, and how genocide degrades humanity. Reminder issued of behaviour requirements
We, the Dunedin Area Citizens Assn Inc, wish to convey our disappointment at the actions of some councillors during the recent nine-year plan hearings.
There were three councillors who walked out when a specific speaker went up to speak and reappeared after his speech. We believe this was a stance against the perceived racism of the speaker. The councillors in question were protesting happenings that do not immediately concern their positions on council.
There were reports of laughing and muttering throughout a presentation. When one person spoke up about being "eye rolled" at she was immediately shut down.
May we remind the councillors, they are operating under a code of conduct. Within that code it is designed for councillors to deal with the behaviour of members towards the public and others. We would have to assume this to mean they treat people with respect and caring without put-downs or degradation.
Elected members will maintain a clear separation between their personal interests and their duties as elected members. This is not shown in the respect of three councillors showing their preference for one particular group over others in a war-torn zone. This is their, personal interest and to us shows their intolerance of other groups. This should not be in the council chamber.
Councillors should not need to be reminded of the obligations to the people (all of them) within their governance boundaries. Secretary, Dunedin Area Citizens Assn Inc
[Abridged: length. Editor.] No need to apologise
I do not know why Allan Dippie thought he had to apologise for speaking the truth. Most councillors are out of their depth and have no idea how to manage the Dunedin City Council's income. Just spend, spend, spend.
I would be really impressed if people like Mr Dippie, with proper business and financial skills, were our councillors, instead of most of the present lot.
Councillor Steve Walker is proud to be woke. A while ago in the ODT , before our new three-bin recycling system, he said he only put out one partly filled black bag a month.
There is a very good reason for this. The rest of his rubbish comes out his mouth. Balance and respect
Cr Steve Walker's defence of displaying a kuffiyeh in council chambers ( ODT 6.5.25) overlooks a key point: while the kuffiyeh has cultural roots, it is also a political symbol associated with Palestinian nationalism and violent resistance. Public officials should be mindful of how such symbols are perceived in diverse communities.
Cr Walker condemns Hamas's October 7 attacks, yet his broader message appears one-sided, omitting sustained empathy for Israeli victims. True moral clarity requires "consistent and principled" compassion for all civilians, not selective outrage.
Accusing critics of ignorance or bigotry diminishes legitimate concern. Citizens are entitled to question whether councillors should use civic platforms to advance political positions — especially ones as fraught as this.
Council chambers are not personal soapboxes. Leadership demands not just compassion, but also balance and respect for the neutrality expected in public governance. Uni should rethink how arts fellowships paid for
Would it be possible for the University of Otago to undergo some reprioritisation in order to address the problem of paying for the now suspended art and music fellowships? We don't know how much money is given each year to the Highlanders, which is, of course, a business in its own right, because the sum is commercially (and possibly morally) sensitive. Now that the university is a place of many firsts, it could achieve yet another one by allowing us all to see why rugby is more important, apparently, than art and music and by how much? Humanity at stake
Palestinians throughout the world and in Aotearoa New Zealand are grieving and suffering with their loved ones, family and kindred in Gaza and on the West Bank.
Wherever they are in the world, they are torn by this reality, they are not free.
Are we free? No, we are not free.
When and wherever genocide is happening we cannot live with it.
Genocide demands our recognition of this evil that is happening to our sisters and brothers, our fellow humans. Genocide degrades not only the humanity of the Israelis and others who commit it, but the meaning and essential reality of all humanity.
This is not a political question or even just a religious question, but a moral question, asking us what is humanity?
We cannot turn aside; we must accept the discomfort and the pain of not turning aside from what is happening.
We must act in whatever way we can to help end this evil. If not us, who? If not now, when?
I could speak as a Christian or a Quaker, but I must speak as a human being whose humanity is at stake. Paying for dairy and paying again
Whilst understanding the principle of global dairy prices, there a lot of irony for New Zealanders in that in producing dairy product is we pay again (against the cost of our land use and hard graft), in the prices of these products on our shelves.
I suggest there is an argument for a specific New Zealand domestic market price structure for dairy products sold in this country.
Our domestic usage is small on a wider world scale and such a system would not make a ripple in our trading economy nor the "dairy giant" profits.
"New Zealand Made" is a strong loyalty here. Reasonable dairy prices are a win for dairy farmers and consumers.
Let's support our own country. Where there is a will there is a way. Imagine the scene
In response to Darryl Sycamore's letter (5.5.25), a national park lake drowned for hydro storage is certainly not "part of the existing environment".
Lake Monowai evolved its natural shoreline over thousands of years since the ice age.
Suggesting it is on its way to recovery after just 100 years seems like green spin — do an internet search on "uplifted by a lake".
The Monowai power station is outside of Fiordland National Park and far from Lake Monowai.
It could still operate in run-of-river mode after removing the small dam presently flooding the lake.
That would mean some reduced income for Pioneer Energy, but is it really necessary to be always extracting the last hydro dollar?
Imagine the initial restoration scene. There would be a blessing by Ngāi Tahu as they planted the first shoreline tree, while Pioneer would unveil a commemorative plaque at the former dam site.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: [e-mail]