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Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: rates, flats and politics
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including the DCC's nine-year plan, how insulation in flats has improved, and a dangerous and deceitful government. Is the nine-year plan a path to rates pain? The release of the Dunedin City Council's nine-year plan is unfortunate for our councillors, in that it happens to be an election year for local bodies. You could say that this nine-year plan is what they collectively campaigned on. Sticking out in the plan are the projected rate rises over the nine-year period and in one part 10% is proposed for each of the first three years. In another part it says these rate rises are to be no more than 12%, so is the council giving itself a buffer and will 12% be the norm after year one? Water is the major cost and a graph in the plan shows the cost of the Local Water Done Well will be 30% for every $100 spent. There is no mention of the installation of domestic water meters at this stage, but if water is to be managed "in house" they could become a reality. Last year there was a 17.5% increase in rates and if another 30% is added on over the next three years, rates will become unaffordable for a lot of people. The DCC can borrow money from the Local Government Funding Agency to assist with spreading the cost of the Three Waters and this should be the way to take the pressure off all ratepayers. A landlord replies, again Liam White's letter shows a marked lack of experience which is perfectly understandable. He is only young and no experienced landlord of 30 or even 20 years would call five years experienced. I am afraid his prejudices are showing. While I can't say how many landlords are as obsessive about insulation as I am, I can say that in general the vast majority of flats are vastly better than they were 30 years ago. Anyone over 50 familiar with the area would know this . Also, sadly, the decline in educational standards, in particular reading and interpretative ability, complained about by universities is evident in his letter. If he read more carefully he would have noted I commented on "that minority of students". His assumption of my lack of empathy with students belies my decades-long fight against the cold on their behalf . Apples, oranges As a seemingly educated fellow, Dr Robert Hamlin should be aware that his argument ( ODT 15.5.25) equating the Treaty Principals Bill with the movement for women's right to vote in the 19th century is false equivalence, aka comparing apples with oranges. Adding the assertion that "there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Mr Seymour's Bill enjoy(s) the support of the majority of the nation" without providing any such evidence further undermines his case. The final sentence, regarding Sir Ian's latte and his supposed "elite" status, is, I suppose, an attempt to denigrate the writer, and is thus ad hominum, attacking the messenger rather than the message. Could do better. Positive thinking The government is dangerous, deceitful and pretty stupid. Dangerous because they insist on increasing speed limits even when this endangers life. Deceitful because they introduced and passed the pay equity clawbacks under urgency – and pretended this would help women. Stupid because they say it will save billions but won't mean women receive less money. I could go on. However, my mother told me to always look for the positive. Our first one-term government in 50 years perhaps? The primary objection to Green Party editorial In Friday's editorial (16.5.25) came the statement that "Wapiti density was only two to four per hectare ..." Any farmer would recognise that as plausible stocking density on very good pasture; even two to four per sq km (100ha) would seem high for native bush. Then in the next day's editorial was the claim that "green is not one of the primary colours", whereas it most emphatically is. Red, green, and blue are the primary additive colours corresponding to humans' photopic vision system. You are seemingly confusing it with the yellow-magenta-cyan system of subtractive colours used in colour printing or paints. Your worst error, however, is repeating the myth that the Green Party should be or ever was just an environmental party. From its origins in the 1970s' Values Party, of which Jeanette Fitzsimons was a founding member, the party has always put peace, social justice, and equality of opportunity on a par with its environmental mandate. If any reason were needed, it is that you cannot ask people to worry about the environment when they struggle to feed their families, pay their rent, or survive the next assault. That concern, like the environment, is both local and global. The economic fools are those on the political right who perceive $89 billion to be a high price. The world has been operating at negative environmental balance since at least the 1980s; in greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, pollution, and many other measures. In lost value, and remedial cost, the resulting environmental deficit now exceeds the largest global financial deficits by orders of magnitude. The Greens are the realists. The irony of road and rail announcements I feel it stretches credulity to breaking point that Shane Jones claims never to have heard of a rival proposal to one to which he has pledged taxpayer support, when Calder Stewart's project has been a decade in the pipeline. For several years I lived less than a kilometre from it, the siding where railway trucks of lime awaited addition to passing goods trains. It was hardly an inland port on the scale now envisaged. But the area surrounding was sparsely settled and still is, and it is easy to visualise such a facility causing less disruption, than the transport of logs, likely up to 24 hours a day through or around Mosgiel which already has congestion problems of its own. If the majority of those logs come from points south of the city, or even if there is a balance, putting them on to rail sooner rather than later would seem to have a great deal of merit, and deliver on the objective of having an inland port, at all. Yes, some transport operators will lose the extra truck-miles, but for either alternative, the logs will surely be subjected to identical handling. New Zealand has failed to address problems by putting ridiculous and unnecessary amounts of the transport of goods on to the highways. The irony of Shane Jones supporting the "Wingatui" option, on the same day that Winston Peter was helping us to celebrate the new, revitalised Hillside facility, may not have escaped everyone's notice. Or I would hope not. [Abridged — length. Editor] Say it ain't so What? Demolish the Archway lecture theatres? Was this intended to be published on April 1? As a former lecturer at Otago University, I was always delighted to present in this wonderful venue. I suggest that senior management at the university align their views on this issue with the expert views of their own emeritus professor Erik Olssen. Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Council Steps Up Climate Action With Toitū Carbon Reduce Certification Programme
Press Release – Ruapehu District Council Chief Executive Clive Manley said Council was committed to playing its part in addressing the climate crisis and building long-term resilience for the district. Ruapehu District Council is taking a significant step in its climate change response by undertaking the Toitū Carbon Reduce certification programme, a science-based initiative that supports organisations to measure, verify, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Chief Executive Clive Manley said Council was committed to playing its part in addressing the climate crisis and building long-term resilience for the district. 'Climate change is already having a real impact on our communities – particularly in key sectors like agriculture and tourism,' said Mr Manley. 'By undertaking the Toitū Carbon Reduce certification process, we are creating a robust, science-aligned plan to better understand and reduce Council's own environmental footprint. It's about taking responsibility, leading by example, and making sure we're doing our part to support a more sustainable future for Ruapehu.' The Toitū Carbon Reduce certification follows international best practice under the ISO 14064-1 standard. It requires Council to measure our significant operational greenhouse gas emissions – including electricity and fuel use, waste, business travel, and other emissions – and develop a plan to reduce these emissions over time. The results are independently verified to ensure accuracy and accountability. The work is being led by Council's Policy, Strategy and Sustainability team funded by a new targeted Environmental Resilience Rate consulted on as part of the current 2024/34 Long Term Plan for introduction in the 2025/26 financial year. Mr Manley said the new targeted rate will cost ratepayers just $21.22 per year (per rating unit) – a very modest investment for the long-term environmental, economic, and strategic benefits it will deliver well beyond regulatory compliance. 'This work will support better decision-making across our organisation – from procurement to infrastructure planning – and provide verified data that helps guide future policy. It also enables Council to access lower borrowing costs for environmental projects help through the Local Government Funding Agency, helping reduce financial pressure on ratepayers.' He added that the programme would deliver shared value for the wider community. 'Having a certified carbon reduction plan in place shows our commitment to sustainability in a way that's transparent, measurable, and credible. It helps us build trust with our communities, iwi, suppliers, and central government, and positions Ruapehu to be part of wider regional and national climate solutions.' The baseline emissions year for the certification is the 2024 financial year (1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024), with certification targeted for October 2025. Council plans to share progress as part of its 2024/25 Annual Report. The Toitū Carbon Reduce certification programme will enable Council to measure, verify, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and help in building long-term resilience for the district.
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Council Steps Up Climate Action With Toitū Carbon Reduce Certification Programme
Ruapehu District Council is taking a significant step in its climate change response by undertaking the Toitū Carbon Reduce certification programme, a science-based initiative that supports organisations to measure, verify, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Chief Executive Clive Manley said Council was committed to playing its part in addressing the climate crisis and building long-term resilience for the district. 'Climate change is already having a real impact on our communities - particularly in key sectors like agriculture and tourism,' said Mr Manley. 'By undertaking the Toitū Carbon Reduce certification process, we are creating a robust, science-aligned plan to better understand and reduce Council's own environmental footprint. It's about taking responsibility, leading by example, and making sure we're doing our part to support a more sustainable future for Ruapehu.' The Toitū Carbon Reduce certification follows international best practice under the ISO 14064-1 standard. It requires Council to measure our significant operational greenhouse gas emissions - including electricity and fuel use, waste, business travel, and other emissions - and develop a plan to reduce these emissions over time. The results are independently verified to ensure accuracy and accountability. The work is being led by Council's Policy, Strategy and Sustainability team funded by a new targeted Environmental Resilience Rate consulted on as part of the current 2024/34 Long Term Plan for introduction in the 2025/26 financial year. Mr Manley said the new targeted rate will cost ratepayers just $21.22 per year (per rating unit) – a very modest investment for the long-term environmental, economic, and strategic benefits it will deliver well beyond regulatory compliance. 'This work will support better decision-making across our organisation - from procurement to infrastructure planning - and provide verified data that helps guide future policy. It also enables Council to access lower borrowing costs for environmental projects help through the Local Government Funding Agency, helping reduce financial pressure on ratepayers.' He added that the programme would deliver shared value for the wider community. 'Having a certified carbon reduction plan in place shows our commitment to sustainability in a way that's transparent, measurable, and credible. It helps us build trust with our communities, iwi, suppliers, and central government, and positions Ruapehu to be part of wider regional and national climate solutions.' The baseline emissions year for the certification is the 2024 financial year (1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024), with certification targeted for October 2025. Council plans to share progress as part of its 2024/25 Annual Report. The Toitū Carbon Reduce certification programme will enable Council to measure, verify, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and help in building long-term resilience for the district.
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Survey Shows Importance Of Airline
A survey of businesspeople asking whether they think Whakatāne District Council should support Air Chathams to continue its Whakatāne to Auckland route received 69 responses in its first week. Almost all respondents considered it important to retain air services in Whakatāne and more than 60 percent were comfortable with the council providing support to the airline. Air Chathams chief commercial officer Duane Emeny announced last month that the airline would be discontinuing its air services in and out of Whakatāne over the next six to 12 months if it did not receive support from the council or other sources. He said the airline had incurred over $1 million in losses from operating the Whakatāne to Auckland route over the past two years. It had operated successfully out of Whakatāne for the previous eight years because it had a dedicated aircraft that could operate early morning and late afternoon flights, key times for business travel. Since it became necessary to retire the ageing 18-seat Metroliners in 2023, the airline has not had a dedicated aircraft for Whakatāne. To make the route work financially, it needs support to purchase another aircraft. It sought help from the council to source a low-interest loan from the Local Government Funding Agency as well as a marketing campaign and for the council to write off a loan of $350,000 it was given to restart flights in the wake of Covid-19 shutdowns. The Eastern Bay Chamber of Commerce sent the survey out to its 230 members via email and also made it available on its Facebook page, which has around 1600 followers, and LinkedIn which has 255 followers. While both social media pages are open to the public, the survey was intended to capture local business owners or professionals. The survey was made available on April 14 and results shared with Air Chathams a week later showed 65 percent of respondents felt comfortable with the council using ratepayer money to support the airline. Those who felt the air services in and out of Whakatāne were important to maintain made up 98 percent and 67 percent used the airline currently. Seventy percent said they would sign a petition to put to council to support retaining Air Chathams was 70 percent. Mr Emeny said comments provided with the survey were quite focused on the schedule not being business friendly. 'If we were to continue and be properly supported by council (or others) then this would be first on our list to amend with a dedicated Saab 340 aircraft,' he said.
