Hang in there, Auckland

I used to knock Auckland. ‘‘Flush twice’’ I was heard to say when the water crisis hit. ‘‘Latte lovers’’ when the Blues rugby team were losing.

Now I see the city where I was born and raised suffering on many levels with Covid. Family, friends and the general public are doing the hard yards. Economic, education and social disruption is huge.

I look forward to the day when Auckland can join the rest of our country in level 2 and at the right time, level 1.

Steve Horne, Raglan

Auckland councillor Richard Hills (Opinion, September 12) suggests that the rest of New Zealand get behind Auckland as it recovers from another round of lockdown. This raises questions about the perceived dominance of Auckland, and the need for Government to institute some affirmative action to rebalance the country.

The pandemic illustrates the unhealthy state of the country brought about by successive governments favouring development in Auckland at the expense of the rest of the country.

As the Government plans the future of the country postpandemic, it ought to take affirmative action (which it is experienced at in other arenas) and promote a healthy balance of people and business in the twothirds of New Zealand that governments have largely forgotten in the last two or three decades.

Geoffrey Horne, Auckland