Letters: Mauao tragedy and the plight of Mount businesses; BMI clarity; phones and driving

What could be more important than the council shifting heaven and earth to make sure this happens? Support businesses, support healthy activity of climbing hills, make everyone’s summer richer!

On a similar note, after the wonderful Local Board intervention that resulted in the Piha campground reopening, we could also do with prompt attention to plans for reinstatement of the Piha Lookout track.

Plans are currently waiting for Auckland Council approval. The track has been closed ever since the cataclysmic weather event of 2023. Speedy development of this track would definitely make many Aucklanders’ summers richer.

Chris Chrystall, Piha.

BMI facts

A recent article quoted eating disorder organisations criticising routine Before School Checks for including body mass index (BMI) (Oct 28).

They said it was “scary”, “horrendous”, “biased”, “sexist” and “racist” for this simple, validated method for assessing body weight, adjusted for weight and height, to be used.

I am dismayed to see one of the few successful steps NZ has taken to prevent obesity undermined by misinformation.

The model was created, not 200 years ago for a “European male”, but by the WHO (World Health Organisation) from its Multicentre Growth Study (1997-2003).

This is a standardised tool used internationally for under-5s. The charts are specific for age and sex, but not for ethnicity, because WHO found no ethnic differences in BMI in this age group.

Obesity is one of the biggest challenges children and adolescents face. It already affects one in eight New Zealand kids, impacting their physical, psychological and social health.

Childhood obesity is an important and tough problem to address, but not measuring a child’s BMI, not talking to parents about it, not getting professional support for it when necessary, and not monitoring progress at the population level would be a terrible health strategy.

Boyd Swinburn, Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health, University of Auckland and Health Coalition Aotearoa.

Humanitarian assistance

Before its closure, USAid (United States Agency for International Development) operated and provided development or humanitarian assistance to about 130 countries, distributing about US$40 billion ($71b) in 2023 and US$35b in 2024.

Most of the world’s 77 lowest-income countries received direct USAid assistance.

Following a review by the Trump Administration, under Doge (led by the world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk) about 83% of USAid programmes were terminated, and the agency officially closed on July 1, 2025, with remaining essential functions transferred to the US Department of State.

Now that the balance of power has shifted in Congress and the Senate, USAid may, hopefully, begin its mission again to make our world slightly more equitable, lifting health and opportunities for many in developing countries.

Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.

Risks for NZ Rugby

I totally agree with the sports article (Nov 5) that NZ rugby urgently needs to fix its game to make it much more watchable and to stop people switching to league – especially the Warriors. I only ever watch All Blacks tests, and yet I watch all NRL games. The boring part of rugby needs to be fixed ASAP..

Murray Hunter, Titirangi.

Phones in cars

Correspondents Murray Hunter and Jeremy Coleman are absolutely correct when stating that the current deterrents for using a phone while driving are not working.

This also highlights another issue: how many times do you read that the penalty for this or that can be up to, say, $20,000? But you can guarantee that the top figure will never be applied by any judge. In many cases, the penalties are actually there but are watered down. In Australia they also have penalties – $1000 for using a phone in a vehicle – but, more importantly, they actually do enforce it with no excuses, so people know not to try it on.

Time we took note and did the same.

Paul Beck, West Harbour.

Fine print on ‘stationary’

I, too, deplore the highly dangerous use of hand-held phones while driving.

However, readers might not realise that the driver, can be fined $150 for using their phone whilst stationary.

I was driving in Dunedin, heard a ding, waited till I had stopped at the lights, and picked up the phone from the central console to check the notification – a mere glance.

When the lights changed, I drove on, only to be pulled over by three police officers who fined me instantly for using a phone while driving.

Fair enough if I had actually been driving, but I’d been seen waiting, immobile, on the traffic lights camera simply touching my phone.

The cops even confirmed I was stationary, but the charge remained.

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This apparently applies to waiting at roadworks too. Beware.

Karin Wegener, Kerikeri.

Captain needs a vice

Why does All Blacks coach Dave Rennie not announce a permanent vice-captain? The team may know, but we as supporters don’t know who is in charge if Codie Taylor, the current captain, is unable to carry on. And one would’ve thought it would be a proud role, for presumably a back to have, when Taylor is available as part of the leadership team.

Harvey White, Epsom.

By George, Russell

George Russell’s little tantrum after the Mexican GP by refusing to attend the compulsory media session will be his undoing.

He should have been there to acknowledge Kimi Antonelli’s World Championship success with the team. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, to their credit, did. What a nice gesture when they hoisted Kimi on their shoulders. Real sportsmanship.

Russell has shown he hasn’t got the huge mental strength to become world champion.

Compare his situation with the mental struggles Liam Lawson has had to endure and all the mechanical failures, and he has still succeeded.

Maybe Lawson would be a fitting replacement for Mercedes.

Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.

On Brand

Russell Brand, found guilty of rape and sexual assault, will now have plenty of spare time to reflect on where he went wrong.

Brand projected an image of arrogance and contempt, preying on his coterie of vulnerable women. His conviction sends a chilling message to many men who still share his arrogant male chauvinism.

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Food for thought

Correspondent Keith Burgess asks why New Zealand consumers must pay exorbitant export prices for the agricultural and dairy products produced locally.

If he wants Kiwis to be charged a special local price, there are two ways to achieve this.

There could be a subsidy for local produce that’s earmarked for local consumption, carried by the taxpayer.

Or perhaps the advocates of lower prices for domestic customers think “our” farmers and growers should be forced to sell a portion of their production at lower cost to Kiwi households? Perhaps a fair deal could be agreed on: forgo export profits in good times in return for higher local prices when the export markets inevitably cycle downward.

Anything else results in one group of Kiwis (consumers) demanding another group of Kiwis (producers) sacrifice their livelihoods for no return. Is that fair?

Philip Tetley-Jones, Pt Chevalier.