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Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: parties on right, bulldog art, rugby
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including parties on the right, opposition to bulldog art and rugby spoiled. Right hand and what the right hand is doing The old cliche that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand's doing, to describe incompetent management, needs a tweak with this coalition government. The right hand doesn't know what the other right hand is doing, or maybe the other. On the National hand we have Minister for Tourism, Louise Upston, touting growth targets of 5 million international visitors a year by 2034, with a majority of those visiting the Queenstown-Lakes District. On the NZ First hand we have Minister for Regional Economic Development, Shane Jones, touting growth targets that involve cratering the landscapes that those visitors come to see and actively enjoy. There is absolutely no sense that this government knows anything about cause and effect, conflicting values, limits to growth, and environmental risk assessment for the future of New Zealanders. Ms Upston and Mr Jones have 10 children between them and several mokopuna. Their future and those of mine depend, not on the bottom line of Australian mining companies or traffic-jamming and sewage drowning in Queenstown, but on caring for our priceless environment whose only bottom line is preservation. Philip Temple Dunedin Thanks, but You were gracious enough to publish my letter regarding this mining venture (18.7.25), where I rebutted two opinions I considered emotive and poorly considered. However, I object to your heading ''Mining is great'' which suggests I am an advocate for this activity at any cost. Mining is never great for any environment. My letter was an attempt to put another view in front of people who do not look at both sides of an argument before committing themselves to a cause. Gavin Dann Alexandra Responsible behaviour Comments by Damian Spring, Santana CEO (ODT 15.7.25), are telling. Mr Spring confirms that they have run an industrial processing plant in ''temporary buildings'' for four or so years without ever applying for consent. The works he now proposes will involve major earthworks, visual amenity impacts, and facilitate traffic volumes for his entire mining workforce of well over 250 people. The non-consented approval path he seeks is a choice to fly under the radar. Not answering the many questions we have posed and lack of any meaningful engagement with the community just confirms this further. It is worth reminding your readers that Santana is a tiny Australian company that has never built an open-cast hard rock mine, and almost entirely relies on external consultants in their development of this project. Questioning its plans and behaviour to date is not only justified, it would be irresponsible not to. Rob van der Mark Sustainable Tarras Community housing Thanks to G. Nicol (Letters ODT 17.7.25) for raising the issue. Those who supported the proposed new community housing build were: Walker, Laufiso, Garey, Benson-Pope, Mayhem and O'Malley. David Benson-Pope Dunedin Dogged opposition I am appalled by the decision to have a mural of a British bulldog. They are badly designed brachiocephalic dogs. They have trouble breathing during exercise because of enlarged uvula and small nostrils. They suffer from heat stress. Many need caesareans to give birth due to the puppies' big heads. Popularising this breed of dog is not in the interests of animal welfare. Sheenagh Tinkler Palmerston North The modern game day is a load of rubbish How to spoil a test match. Let the Sky showbiz frenzy team organise it. First, a man with a booming voice and a mic that can be heard all over Hamilton. A music device that drowns out the slightest sign of crowd spontaneity with explosions of music and instructions what to think. Smother the referee's instructions, spectator conversation and, in case attention is diverted from the razzmatazz, the game in play. Orchestrate, orchestrate, control, control. Abandon class. Aim for crass. Christopher Horan Lake Hawea Lights out I have noticed that the latest subdivision in Tomahawk, 45 sections of 'prime' real estate, has turned on the streetlights, of which there are 22. That is 22 new lights burning bright in a subdivision where 15 sections appear to have been sold but not a sod has turned a sod yet. For whom do these lights glow in the gloom of our night? Perhaps a solitary dog walker who otherwise may stumble off the sidewalk? For this subdivision is empty of life yet it is burning power, to what purpose I ask? Owen Kreft Dunedin No to plonkers on the council I have always been fascinated by the argument that politics have no place in local politics (John le Brun, Letters 15.7.25). Dunedin is unusual in having minimal participation by people who name their political affiliation. Personally I'm grateful to those who do - whether I support that affiliation or not. They are prepared to tell me straight up, simply by saying Green, Labour - and now Act New Zealand - the values they hold and will demonstrate around the council table. Some candidates I then easily dismiss from my potential list and others I will put to the top. That does leave a whole lot where I'm reading between the lines to find out more and hoping I don't either help elect a plonker by mistake or, worse, someone who is covertly aligned to a party whose values I don't support. Gio Angelo Belleknowes Well, yes, but In other times I might agree with V. H. Markham (Letters 17.7.25) that a city council should confine itself to local matters. Unfortunately, in this time - now - a genocide is happening. Thousands of unarmed civilians have been killed. Those remaining are at risk of detention and incarceration in a concentration camp. When very similar things happened in my parents' time, 80 years ago, the world eventually stood against it. Three common sayings come to mind: 'We didn't know'' and ''Never again.'' The third is the legal and philosophical adage ''Qui tacet consentire'' implying that ''He who is silent gives consent.'' I wish to speak out against the genocide of the Palestinian people. I am pleased that my city council has seen fit to speak out. I would dearly love my government to speak out - but they are silent. What will we say in five, 10, 80 years time? ''We didn't know''? Dorothy Browne North East Valley Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
'Great Rides' need double the money to keep running smoothly
The country's Great Rides attract about a million cyclists and walkers each year. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Chris Bramwell Maintenance funding for the country's 'Great Rides' trails will need to double in the next decade, or some will degrade so much they will lose that status. The trails generate just under $1b annually in benefits to regional economies, drawing about a million cyclists and walkers each year. The government puts $8m a year towards the trails through the International Visitor and Conservation Levy, with contributions totalling $129m since 2009. Councils have co-invested at least $60m into the rides in that time. But an Official Information Act response from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, released to RNZ, shows an estimated $160 million will be needed to maintain and enhance the Great Rides over the next 10 years. Per year, it is double the amount currently allocated for the network. "Without additional funding, there is a risk the Great Rides will gradually decline over time, potentially resulting in the removal of Great Ride status from some underperforming trails," the briefing to Tourism Minister Louise Upston says. NZ Cycle Journeys runs cycle hire and luggage transfer services across five of the trails and owner Geoff Gabites told Nine to Noon the trails were "perfectly usable" at the moment, but would need resurfacing soon - the maintenance largely done by local councils, with three trails covered by the Department of Conservation (DOC). He compared that to the 'Great Walks' tramping tracks fully managed by DOC - which owns and manages the huts, thereby collecting an income stream. "On the [Great Rides] trails, there is no mechanism whereby riders themselves can be levied or generate money for the trusts or councils that own the trails," Gabites said. When set up in 2009 under the John Key government, the Great Rides were intended to eventually become self-funding, but the OIA response showed this "has not eventuated as the economic benefits have not flowed back to the trails to allow them to maintain and grow to be a world-class asset". There are no direct revenue-gathering options for the trusts that operate the trails. The problem is exacerbated by trails that have been impacted by severe weather, like the Great Taste Trail in Nelson which will need rebuilding following the recent Tasman floods . "It's that sort of siphoning of money out of the $8m which the government currently fund per annum which is I think causing a significant decline in the ongoing funding available for maintenance," Gabites said. He said given the benefits, it should be on the government to support the maintenance of the trails. "It's hard to actually find a government initiative that has delivered that sort of degree of return, and so you would have to be saying to the government 'this is your investment, and it's really going to be upon you, I believe, to maintain and protect that investment'." They were considerably cheaper than urban-based cycleways to maintain, he said. "In terms of numbers, 48 percent of the riders travel specifically to ride these trails so they're not just 'happen to be there and then go and and do something', it's actually a driver into the region... the $8m that have been granted is the same degree of funding that was in place from, I think, 2018." The government has launched a "programme refresh to respond to this funding pressure", and also has a "full impact evaluation" for the 2024/25 fiscal year under way, scheduled for completion in September. Gabites said tourism operators benefiting from the trail where also were aware they should contribute, and that was being done on a voluntary basis - but it was currently the only way those operators were helping fund the trails. "So Cycle Journeys has had a luggage levy of 15 percent in there, and we've donated something like $126,000 over the last four years - but when the trail maintenance numbers are as high as they are, that's not sufficient to stay ahead of the game." Part of the problem was the lack of any way to charge the users of the trails, and the government's contracts with councils - many of which had a low rating base - left ratepayers to fund the maintenance. "There's multiple entry/exit points, so it's it's just never been set up to do this - and also legislatively as well, there's no mechanism," Gabites said. The MBIE briefing notes the government is exploring differential funding from councils "based on a local government deprivation index similar to that used by the New Zealand Transport Agency to fund roads". James Bell from ski and bike hireage company TCB Ohakune is heavily involved in the town's business community and said everyone including DOC and iwi seemed to be "pitching in where they can and where is necessary", but the trails themselves needed to be completed to make the whole system run smoother. "The biggest challenge right now - and this might sound a bit harsh - is we're currently driving a three-wheeled cart, because that cart isn't complete and therefore working on maintaining a three-wheeled cart is a lot tougher. Makes more sense, at least, for our community, to add that fourth wheel." As an example, many of the trails have been at least partly on-road since the scheme was launched, and the MBIE briefing notes that a $7.9m bid to have 120km of the Alps 2 Ocean ride shifted to off-road was rejected. Bell said there were also other ways to get the maintenance done, like new levies or commissions or through concession agreements. Minister Upston in a statement to RNZ said she was aware of the maintenance issues and cost pressures. "An ongoing challenge is how to generate revenue to reinvest into the trails to ensure they continue to offer a world-class experience. MBIE is currently working with sector partners to refresh the broader Great Rides programme. I'm committed to finding solutions to ensure the future of the Great Rides for Kiwis and international visitors alike," she said. The government has also confirmed plans to spend $3m on adding e-bike charging stations to the trails, with a second round of funding launched in June - however the MBIE briefing noted there was a "low level of support for installing e-charging stations" from stakeholders. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Govt Plan For Jobs A Complete Failure
Benefit and jobseeker numbers released today show the Government's plan to grow jobs and address the cost of living is failing miserably. 'The latest June quarter report shows that things are getting worse, not better,' Labour Social Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. 'Jobseeker numbers are up. Homelessness is up and cost of living is skyrocketing. This is not a time for Louise Upston to celebrate. 'Yet, she pats herself on the back for moving people off the main benefit but completely ignores the fact that more and more people are receiving benefits and are out of work. By any measurement, this is a failure. 'For whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau it's even worse. The latest report shows that there are 2,800 more Māori on Jobseeker since the end of 2023. 'The Government has cut Māori trades training, which helped our whānau into jobs and the economy to thrive. If anyone should be sanctioned, it should be this government,' Willie Jackson said.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Number of benefit sanctions increase, over 80k people find work, new figures show
Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The number of benefit sanctions has increased by 27 percent compared to last year, the latest figures from Minister of Social Development (MSD) show . The figures, released on Thursday, show the number of people receiving a main benefit is up 6.6 percent compared to the previous year. It brings the proportion of the working-age population receiving a main benefit up to 12.5 percent, just over 400,000 people. Jobseeker Support numbers are also up 10 percent to 216,000 people. The number of working-age people receiving a Jobseeker Support increased across all regions, with Northland having the highest at 11.3 percent. Main benefit cancellations had increased by 6.9 percent to just over 49,000, while 19,596 people exited into work, an increase of 8.1 percent. Benefit sanctions increased 27.1 percent to 13,200. The Ministry's snapshot said the main reasons for unfulfilled work obligation sanctions were clients not attending appointments, like seminar appointments, or failing to prepare for work. In the June 2025 Quarter, 52,698 main benefits were granted, an increase of 2.7 percent, while the number of Jobseeker benefits was 41,091, up 4.7 percent. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston said it meant more than 80,700 people moved off a main benefit and into work in the last financial year. "Despite challenging economic conditions, the government has been relentlessly focused on getting New Zealanders into work. It's encouraging that 80,000 Kiwis were able to kick start new roles over the past 12 months and there will be more to come," she said. Upston said over the last three years, MSD have seen a trend of more people coming onto benefit in the March to June period, because of less seasonal work available during the winter months. "MSD is continuing to provide great support to job seekers on the frontline. Our Government has increased the number of people in case management at any one time from 60,000 to 70,000 people. 10,000 of those are getting help through a new phone-based case management service. That's more people getting more support," Upston said. "People now also have to reapply for their benefit every six months, instead of just once a year. This gives MSD an extra opportunity to support them into a job." Green Party Social Development spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said the figures showed the government was pushing people into unemployment while punishing them for being out of work. "It's no wonder people are fleeing the country in droves with this Government punishing people for being unemployed at a time when there are little to no jobs," Menéndez March said. "This is blatant cruelty dressed up as policy. People deserve to live in dignity and to be supported in times of need, not punished." He said sanctions had doubled since the government took office. "Sanctions strip people of the basics they need to live, with no proof that they help anyone find paid work. The Government increasing sanctions on the unemployed when there are little to no jobs is beyond cruel," Menéndez March said. "Right now, Student Job Search data shows graduates are vying for a shrinking number of vacancies, leaving people stranded and increasingly without hope. Despite fewer job listings being available for a growing number of people on the benefit, the Government is hellbent on punishing the unemployed." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Number of benefit sancitions increase, over 80k people find work, new figures show
Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The number of benefit sanctions has increased by 27 percent compared to last year, the latest figures from Minister of Social Development (MSD) show . The figures, released on Thursday, show the number of people receiving a main benefit is up 6.6 percent compared to the prevsion year. It brings the proportion of the working-age population receiving a main benefit up to 12.5 percent, just over 400,000 people. Jobseeker Support numbers are also up 10 percent to 216,000 people. The number of working-age people receiving a Jobseeker Support increased across all regions, with Northland having the highest at 11.3 percent. Main benefit cancellations had increased by 6.9 percent to just over 49,000, while 19,596 people exited into work, an increase of 8.1 percent. Benefit sanctions increased 27.1 percent to 13,200. The Ministry's snapshot said the main reasons for unfulfilled work obligation sanctions were clients not attending appointments, like seminar appointments, or failing to prepare for work. In the June 2025 Quarter, 52,698 main benefits were granted, an increase of 2.7 percent, while the number of Jobseeker benefits was 41,091, up 4.7 percent. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston said it meant more than 80,700 people moved off a main benefit and into work in the last financial year. "Despite challenging economic conditions, the government has been relentlessly focused on getting New Zealanders into work. It's encouraging that 80,000 Kiwis were able to kick start new roles over the past 12 months and there will be more to come," she said. Upston said over the last three years, MSD have seen a trend of more people coming onto benefit in the March to June period, because of less seasonal work available during the winter months. "MSD is continuing to provide great support to job seekers on the frontline. Our Government has increased the number of people in case management at any one time from 60,000 to 70,000 people. 10,000 of those are getting help through a new phone-based case management service. That's more people getting more support," Upston said. "People now also have to reapply for their benefit every six months, instead of just once a year. This gives MSD an extra opportunity to support them into a job." Green Party Social Development spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said the figures showed the government was pushing people into unemployment while punishing them for being out of work. "It's no wonder people are fleeing the country in droves with this Government punishing people for being unemployed at a time when there are little to no jobs," Menéndez March said. "This is blatant cruelty dressed up as policy. People deserve to live in dignity and to be supported in times of need, not punished." He said sanctions had doubled since the government took office. "Sanctions strip people of the basics they need to live, with no proof that they help anyone find paid work. The Government increasing sanctions on the unemployed when there are little to no jobs is beyond cruel," Menéndez March said. "Right now, Student Job Search data shows graduates are vying for a shrinking number of vacancies, leaving people stranded and increasingly without hope. Despite fewer job listings being available for a growing number of people on the benefit, the Government is hellbent on punishing the unemployed." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
