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Botany and Ormiston Times, Thursday, March 16, 2017 — 7
POWER TALK
Facing the longer-term challenges With Governments have a responsibility to face the bigger, longer-term issues for New Zealand. Already this year we have made significant announcements in areas like policing, rolling out ultra-fast broadband to another 150 towns, improving freshwater quality and tightening up on the tax obligations of multinational corporations. Last week the Prime Minister addressed another of these longterm issues when he announced how we will tackle the rising cost of New Zealand Superannuation. Improvements in healthcare and lifestyle mean we are living and working longer today than we ever have. Good health is good news. It means we can enjoy life more and remain active in the workforce and the community for longer. However, longer life does drive up the cost of Super. By international standards, NZ Super remains relatively
affordable. Funding superannuation presently costs about 5 per cent of GDP compared to 9 per cent across OECD countries. However, the cost in New Zealand is expected to rise to 8.4 per cent by 2060, a significant increase on today’s cost. That level of spending on superannuation is affordable if we tighten spending in other areas. But we don’t want future governments to be forced to cut spending on healthcare and education, or to put up taxes. That’s why we have proposed progressively increasing the age of eligibility for NZ Super to 67, starting in 20 years’ time. With the average life expectancy increasing by about 1.3 years each decade, someone who retires at age 67 in 2040 is likely to receive NZ Super for longer than someone who retires at age 65 today. This policy will more fairly spread the costs and benefits
Your view How will council fix this? I wrote the letter below a few weeks back, and I see today (March 6) in the news that an elderly man in Papatoetoe fell to his death after falling off his mobility scooter caused by an uneven footpath. Seeing a woman at East Care Medical Centre last week with injuries to her face and arm, and a recent visit to a Golflands property requested by a distressed and angry senior resident, has reinforced my decision to demand answers from council as to what will be done to resolve a major problem that may have serious repercussions for our pedestrian population. It probably is no surprise that the trees planted on the berms in Botany are causing serious problems to the footpaths, and probably not only in this part of the city. The root systems are destroying the footpaths, some driveways and even fences. Has council a plan in place to resolve what I see as a major
Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee’s JOTTINGS
of New Zealand Super between generations, ensure the scheme remains affordable into the future, and give people time to adjust. We will also change the residency requirement for eligibility for Super from 10 years to 20 years. It will apply to people arriving in New Zealand after the legislation is passed. Facing the longer term issues is not necessarily the most popular thing to do, but it’s responsible and necessary. Doing so early means we give New Zealanders a long lead time to help them plan for their retirement. Jami-Lee Ross Member of Parliament for Botany
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problem which, if it hasn’t already, is going to cause some serious injuries to our ageing population who have already, and will in the future, trip over the hundreds of uneven adjoining concrete slabs? I have noticed that in many instances asphalt has been used to try and remedy the height differences between pavement slabs. This not only is a poor substitute for much-needed repairs, but looks unsightly to say the least. Recently, we even had an Auckland City Councillor attend the Howick Local Board meeting complaining about facial injuries suffered falling over on an uneven pavement. Obviously, it would appear that not enough consideration was given to the types of trees that were planted, to ensure that ageing root structures would grow downwards and not outwards, often on the surface. I believe that council officers need to urgently resolve to find an answer to this problem before one of our residents pays the ultimate price. I would appreciate a response
from officers or of council arborists as to what could or will be done to resolve this very serious situation before the problem gets any worse. Bob Wichman, Botany
Someone will be killed We moved into Beach Road, Mellons Bay, in October 2016 and I am amazed that nothing has or is being done to address the speed of some vehicles from the roundabout at Park Hill Road to the top junction at Mellons Bay Road. One day I feel that there is going to be a fatality as children walk to and from schools. Beach Road isn’t that wide and, with cars parked on one side, makes it more dangerous. Maybe a reduced speed limit on Beach Road and Mellons Bay Road and speed bumps would slow the traffic for the volume of vehicles using Beach Road to bypass Picton Road. I contacted the council but nothing has changed. Concerned resident
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