This letter was sent by a Waikanae resident on 17 December. To date (29 December) there has been no reply. It is worth noting that there are some enlightened councils in the country, including Western Bay of Plenty, New Plymouth and Upper Hutt, who do not discriminate against Pfizer substance unvaccinated people in the use of their public facilities.

Greetings and best wishes for the year ahead, Mayor Gurunathan

As you know I’ve been a great supporter of your mayoralty and appreciative of your good works in the District over the years but I’ve recently become conflicted by the decision of KCDC to ban unvaccinated ratepayers from libraries, swimming pools and buildings where I would otherwise attend meetings, functions as well as partake in recreational activities!

Without delving into the reasoning behind this decision, the questionable efficacy of the vaccines themselves or side-tracking into the reasons behind my own decision to remain vaccine free at this time, I’m aghast about what this decision has meant in real terms.

Simply put I can no longer play table tennis, practice yoga, visit the library, or undergo hot pool rehabilitation for my broken ribs and damaged shoulder!

My question is whether provision has been made for the loss of access to these amenities/facilities and whether this loss will be compensated/reflected in our next Rates bill?

Surely some form of rebate is justified as we (me and my wife) will be otherwise be obliged to financially contribute for things that summarily we have been banned from otherwise partaking in.

Luckily there is still the great outdoors and in Waikanae, as in Otaki, we are blessed with walkways, cycleways, not to mention bush, river and coastal tracks… or is it KCDC’s intention to exclude us from them too?

To conclude, I’m certain that you are philosophically opposed to discriminatory practices, not least due to having faced some in your personal and public life. This leaves me baffled as to your silence now that KCDC itself has seemingly, or by default, opted to take the lead in discriminating against unvaccinated people itself.

Some people may well applaud the discriminatory steps taken under your watch, but in my view it’s a very slippery slope for KCDC to embark on, and it takes courage and real leadership to express the need for moderation in the face of a relentless wave of state sponsored fear and anxiety.

My recently deceased father (who also held you in high regard) would say in his wisdom, in a democracy the end (in this case a 90%+ vaccinated population) noble or not, doesn’t always justify the means (discrimination being applied to a minority).

Going forward, I sincerely trust in New Zealand we won’t see the formation of a segregated society and a parallel economy.

I trust you will honour me with your considered reply, as opposed to a formatted one.

Thanking you in advance

With respect and regards 

[Name withheld on request]

Setting aside who can spread covid-19, are people more likely to catch coronavirus choosing books in the library compared with selecting the best bananas in the supermarket? –Eds