What is important about extra roads?
The Nationwide authorities has a historical past of prioritising roadbuilding over some other expenditure and this regrettably contains important healthcare in our area.
In 2011, Nationwide was planning to construct an extension to the Auckland Northern Motorway from Puhoi to Warkworth.
This 17km-long stretch of the roads of “nationwide significance” was termed by the locals because the “Vacation Freeway” because it saved about 4 minutes off the journey to a well-liked seaside.
Even though there was an present plan to improve State Freeway 1 at a value of lower than half 1,000,000 {dollars}, the federal government determined to plough forward with the development of the brand new street.
This street which runs parallel to SH1, was initially costed at $750 million and was anticipated to take seven years to construct.
The precise price turned out to be $1.05 billion, a 40% enhance over the unique price. It was accomplished in 2023, 5 years later than predicted.
The additional extension of this street is over much more difficult terrain and unlikely to be accomplished on time or inside the finances of $4b.
The federal government have insisted that the Dunedin hospital rebuild won’t exceed the $1.8b finances and have reduce deliberate amenities to remain inside that determine.
Making use of the identical logic leads me to imagine that the proposed extension from Warkworth to Te Hana will fall in need of its vacation spot by about 7km.
The current announcement that $180m will likely be allotted over three years for the growth of healthcare providers in Central Lakes, is lower than 5% of the price of this proposed street within the North.
It demonstrates very clearly that this authorities cares little concerning the well being of these of us within the South Island.
Bob Scott
Cromwell
{Dollars} and cents
When making feedback on the Finances might I counsel Carolyne Smith (3.6.26) examine the price of the Waikato expressway with the fee in 2026 {dollars} of the Southern Motorway in Dunedin. Additionally the more moderen price of the Lookout Level overbridge.
Could I additionally remind Ms Smith that this authorities backed the $60 billion Covid response. The federal government is now paying roughly $3b in curiosity as a result of they do care for everybody in New Zealand.
Alan Paterson
North East Valley
The nice previous days once we drained the swamp
Councillor Ong, but once more, offers us good service in illustrating the idiotic constructs which might be trendy council working guidelines.
It isn’t so a few years in the past that council service was voluntary. That’s unpaid.
Presently the UK prime minister is paid about $NZ400,000 a yr, and the US president about $NZ700,000.
Center-aged Dunedin residents of the Nineteen Eighties would marvel why we’d even want a metropolis chief govt, not to mention that they need to be paid greater than the UK prime minister to handle somewhat city on the backside of the world.
There have been no infinite committees, only a group of about eight to a dozen councillors making most selections.
They’d say we’ve at all times managed very properly with out one for the final 130 years and if nonetheless alive immediately, would say had achieved much more at a lot much less price.
There have been extraordinary feats of engineering just like the draining of the swamp that was South Dunedin at no big price to ratepayers. I believe the ocean used to return as much as about Hillside Rd.
Or the set up of electrical lights alongside the primary streets.
Younger ones can be stunned to study it wasn’t at all times there.
George Livingstone
Roslyn
Shedding sympathy for the one-time liked underdog
As a baby rising up in a proud working class dwelling within the north of England, I used to be indoctrinated into the speculation of supporting the underdog.
Underdogs, as within the Jewish scenario, from the indescribable horrors of focus camps to the violent actions they wanted to perpetrate in an effort to reclaim their homeland, as such they wanted assist.
Therefore I’ve at all times spent years feeling sympathy for and supporting the actions of the Jewish state, believing their actions had been constructed on self-preservation and survival.
Any lingering emotions of assist have now gone. They’ve change into twisted. Not all, there are lots of who protest the atrocities being dedicated, however they cannot cease the continued sick exercise being achieved beneath the banner of “freedom’’ when in reality it’s a banner of bloodthirsty revenge and retribution.
Have we, or they, realized nothing in any respect?
Graham Bulman
Roslyn
[Abridged. Ed]
Syrup spurned
The syrupy AI generated flyer on the entrance of the ODT (8.6.26) selling Ryman’s retirement villages had me wanting to move for the hills.
Two ladies of my age, with one standing in a bodily unattainable place, chatting ever so cheerily, encased in a utopian background of blooming rose arbours with pleased gardeners “taking care” of every part was simply an excessive amount of for somebody with a desire for earthy actuality.
I’m not knocking retirement villages as a real possibility for a lot of. It’s the sickly model of promoting I discover offensive.
And I counsel Ryman’s test the AI mannequin’s posture subsequent time.
Mary Waymouth
North East Valley
