Carol Simpson!

Howick shopper Carol Simpson has won the Times’ local shopping promotion Howick Village Summer Spend & Win, picking up a massive collection of prizes. She entered in Poppies book shop.

The month-long promotion attracted thousands of entries. Shoppers had to spend a minimum $50 in participating stores for a chance to win an impressive list of prizes in the winner-takes-all competition.

The Times would like to thank all the business for participating in the Spend & Win campaign. And just the sheer volume of receipts shows it was a huge success. Special thanks must also go to the business that provided the amazing prizes which included a hanging egg chair with a retail value of $300 from I Furniture, Howick Monterey Cinema provided two adult tickets plus a $20 food and drink voucher, Cinnamon Brown Homestore put up a gift basket valued at $100, Botany Hunting & Fishing New Zealand provided a Traverse folding table and chairs valued at $250, 101 provided a $200 voucher, The Good Home Gastropub Howick put in a $150 food and beverage voucher, Basalt put in a $150 food and beverage voucher, David Fels Jeweller a $100 voucher and Rydges Formosa golf for four with two carts valued at $450.

The prize draw was overseen by Constable Steve Webb.

WE’RE GOING ABOUT IT ALL WRONG

High density housing defies just about everything that is needed to combat climate change.

Total reliance on council for water when we’ve seen how polluted that can become when a cyclone hits, total reliance on power companies for power when floods can quickly incapacitate supply.

Reliance on public transport when Cyclone Gabrielle quickly showed how quickly it can be stopped in its tracks, total reliance on supermarkets for veges when crops are so quickly destroyed in floods and fail to deliver.

High rise, high density housing because of the reduced roof area per unit limits the use of solar panels to provide an alternative source, absolutely no space for a water tanks to supply an alternative when water is either cut off or so polluted to be undrinkable.

Eight times waste and sewerage water output now from eight houses into storm water drains designed for only one.

No space for a garden when crops because of flooding fail to deliver.

In short governments and councils promote our dependency on them rather than being independent, which should be a number one strategy for each and every one’s survival as acceleration of climate change gathers momentum.

So when politicians or coun- cillors talk about planning for climate change, they are either being grossly hypocritical, talking through a hole in their heads or, even worse, have vested interests in keeping acceleration of climate change going to keep them in employment.

Gary Hollis Mellons Bay

Up The Creek Without A Panel

Re: Preparing for dangerous weather [Ryan Price, Times , March 10].

After dismissing manmade global warming, Ryan Price has moved on to arguing with himself about the consequence: climate change and the need to act. Because nobody has ever disputed the need for resilience and adaptation.

Oil companies knew in the 1960s about the problems of CO2 from burning fossil fuels – their own scientists told them. Politicians were certainly aware by 1988, when the World Meteorological Organisation initiated the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The present crisis is entirely due to politicians – predominantly ideologically conservative/neoliberal – not giving councils a lead and the power to act.

So now we are up the creek without a paddle. Billions will be needed to simply undo the damage, and we are still left with the root cause – global warming.

Yes, we can adapt to the 1.1C since industrialisation. But emissions at the present rate could mean 4C with 5m of sea level rise – nobody knows because permafrost melt and ice sheet disintegration are not completely understood or modelled.

Perhaps Mr Ryan could give the children born today some advice on how they might deal with that.

Dennis Horne Howick

WHERE DOES OUR RATES MONEY GO?

As I understand it (and I could be completely wrong), part of our rates money goes towards making our footpaths safe for walking on. Recently, the rates for our home went up by $80 per month – no consultation – no notification –just bang! An extra $80 a month taken from our bank account. We put in an objection and asked for our property to be re-valued –this was supposed to be done by the end of 2022 – nothing. Now we are told there is no time limit on the review – could be any time. That’s beside the point.

Has anyone noticed the terrible state of the footpath on Pakuranga Road? From the pedestrian crossing (opposite St Kent’s College) walking down to the Plaza the footpath is an absolute hazard and danger.

At least three properties have stinking slimy mess pouring out of them. Walking on that slime is like walking on ice and the grass verges either side of the footpath are a complete bog. To get around this mess you either have to walk onto the road (Pakuranga Road is extremely dangerous) or risk slipping over in the muck, which is what my son was unlucky enough to do.

Two weeks ago, I reported this problem to the council who then referred me on to Watercare. Watercare had a look and, as far as I know, from my follow-up call to the council, this job (or I should say these jobs) have been put on hold.

I realise Watercare have been under a lot of pressure with all the bad weather we’ve been having but the problem on Pakuranga Road goes back for months.

Even though my concerns have been noted, there hasn’t been a thing done to make this area safer – no warnings or even some orange cones in place.

I am sure this is going to be a big job to fix as it’s been like this for months (with water pouring down the road) but how long would it take someone to go along there and water blast the slime off – or even more basic, use a shovel) this would remove the immediate danger.

To make matters worse, there is a small army of workers working on an area at the end of the Pakuranga Road footpath – I guess they don’t work for the council and couldn’t possibly be asked to clean the footpath.

So back to my question, where do our rates go? Quite obviously my rates (plus my $80 increase) are not going to the upkeep of our very busy footpaths.

Sue Bentley Pakuranga

WHY IS THE UN GETTING OUR MONEY?

Why is the NZ government giving $14 billion to the UN when that money is sorely needed to help repair the damage caused by the recent cyclone?

What would the UN do with it anyway?

In my opinion, they are a useless bunch of wallies. What have they done to alleviate the Ukraine debacle?

Look at the trouble they have created with UNDRIP [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples].

What did Helen Clark achieve in her time there?

Our money would be better used in New Zealand.

Arthur Moore Pakuranga