Council must act Taiwan and history

It is hard for ‘‘Gwailo’’ (foreign devils) to understand the Chinese cultural view of greater China. Their land was pillaged during the Ching Dynasty by the modern Western powers and Japan, who subjugated China into a degraded state. After the 1911 revolution, then the civil war with total invasion by Japan, China finally became independent in 1949, with the KuomingTang basically retreating to Taiwan and subduing the local population.

China wants her territory back, as it has in Macao and Hong Kong. Taiwan is part of that territory, and China will retrieve it, peacefully if possible.

We may perhaps understand their attitude if we compare it with the French and Alsace-Lorraine. The territory was conquered by Germany in 1870, won back in 1918, lost again in 1940, and retaken in 1945. The French will fervently retain the area despite the difficulties the local people have suffered by their changing nationality.

Before our government falls in behind the USA and Australia in provoking war, a history lesson may be in order.

Kerry Bateman

Nelson, November 22

Housing changes

The current housing intensification legislation before Parliament would be a disaster for Nelson.

Character neighbourhoods would be demolished to make way for three townhouses on many existing sections, which would cut out most of their neighbours’ sun and daylight on the northern boundary. Those who currently have sections suitable for subdivision would find their rates escalate dramatically in just one or two years as their land value hugely increased.

For our mayor to have apparently been lobbying, without consulting ratepayers, for Nelson to be included in this legislation, rather than just the four major cities as originally intended in the bill, is in my opinion reprehensible.

Under her stewardship, our essential infrastructure has not been maintained to a level that would be necessary for such intensification. Such intensification would require that ratepayers stump up very large sums of funding to upgrade the current infrastructure. The council has repeatedly raided the depreciation fund which is supposed to replace infrastructure.

Ratepayers need to oppose this housing-enabling resource management amendment bill if they wish to retain their homes or existing exposure to sunlight. Dan McGuire Nelson, November 24

Three Waters

Quite incredibly, Nelson mayor Rachel Reese declares that the Three Waters Working Group will have the opportunity to ‘‘look afresh’’ at the model put forward by the Government ( Nelson Mail, November 24). What planet does she come from?

For someone elected to uphold Nelson’s interests, to steer the city with care and capability, she seems more to be placing her prospects outside Nelson very much before those of the city.

Including the Nelson

City Council, only three out of 67 councils upheld Nanaia Mahuta’s impractical ideas and proposed effective theft of valuable municipal assets – significantly, our neighbour, the Tasman District Council, is not among them – so how in her wildest dreams does Reese pretend that ‘‘the group would not be starting with a pre-determined view’’?

The patently stacked and nonrepresentative group is readily ascertainable as almost solely comprised of Labour toadies, and its 50 per cent Māori representation is outlandishly disproportionate to their 16 per cent of the population. Where’s the list of its members’ ever-so-necessary qualifications and proven histories of competence in the fields of the subjects in which they are to make determination? To all intents and purposes, non-existent.

Reece’s stance betrays Nelson and Nelson people. She and her ilk on council must not be re-elected. Jim Cable Nelson , November 24

The Nelson Ratepayers Alliance has been patiently waiting to hear of the Nelson City Council’s reaction to Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s decision to mandate the Three Waters reforms, and to learn what the council is going to do about it. We have seen no reaction so far. The mayor’s public comment that ‘‘we will have an opportunity to state our views at the select committee stage’’ will have no effect whatsoever on the Government’s intentions.

There are three things the council must now do:

1. Write to the Government. The council was given assurances that after October 1, and following its submission of comments, it would be given further feedback from the Government containing information that could then be discussed with the community. That never happened – and what’s more, was never going to happen. Councillors should rightly be very angry and disappointed at the Government misleading the council. At the next full council meeting, it must demand an explanation.

2. Arrange an immediate survey of ratepayers. The mayor has said that the council will be making submissions to the Three Waters select committee hearings. Those submissions must reflect the views of Nelson ratepayers. A survey must be undertaken, ideally before Christmas.

3. Request the mayor to decline appointment to Mahuta’s working group. The invitation to serve on the just formed Three Waters Working Group is not supported by members of this alliance and other ratepayers. The requirement that those appointed will attend the group meetings without representing their communities makes a mockery of democracy.

The mayor must realise that her first responsibility is to the ratepayers of Nelson, not to be a promoter of an unpopular Government policy. Neville Male Convenor, Nelson Ratepayers Alliance

Nelson, November 27

Urban intensification

There’s a bill presently going through a Parliamentary select committee, the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters)

Amendment Bill. Seems innocuous enough? But dig just below the surface and you will find the worst bit of urban planning and housing intensification ever to see the light of day.

If passed, this bill will destroy our existing urban neighbourhoods, allowing your neighbours to demolish their house and build three, three-storey dwellings up to 11 metres high, just 1m from your boundary.

Gone is your daylight and any view you might have had. The daylight recession angle will change from 35 degrees at 2.5m high at your boundary to 60 degrees, starting at an astonishing 6m high.

On a north/south-facing street you will not see the noonday sun until November 15, and lose it again just 10 weeks later, at the end of January. On an east/west street, you will get no morning or evening sun (or both) all year. Too bad about your solar panels.

Our mayor supports Nelson adopting this. In fact she thinks that, like Three Waters, this could be mandated by Labour for the whole country. Tim Bayley Nelson, November 27

Maitai development

Submissions to the Nelson City Council close on December 8 if you want to have your say on the future of the Maitai/Kākā Valley. This could be the last chance to prevent the loss of Nelson’s last undeveloped green space anywhere near the CBD.

This is not about Nimbyism – it is about saving greenfield spaces for our children and grandchildren, not to mention reducing our carbon emissions, and preventing flooding downstream and the ruination of our last swimming holes within walking distance of the city.

The Government’s recent Resource Management Act change announcement, allowing easier urban intensification, surely reduces the need to build on greenfield sites even further. Now there is no excuse whatsoever for the council to force this abomination through.

Make a submission now or forever tell your kids (or other people’s kids) that you did nothing to stop it. Mic Dover Nelson, November 27