We are delighted to share with you our first issue of 2022. As is our custom, we closed this January edition just before Christmas to meet the needs of our printers.
We would like to thank our readers and advertisers for their loyal support as we enter our sixth year as an independent business publication dedicated to covering the interests and concerns of the Bay of Plenty’s business community.
As I write, the Bay is preparing to receive an influx of Auckland visitors released after being locked down for four months. While some will undoubtedly go North, or to the South Island, there can be no doubt that hard-hit Bay hospitality and tourist businesses are hoping the northern influx will provide some business comfort.
Having spent much of my international career travelling with Kiwi politicians, I can perhaps be excused if I detect an element of cynicism in the ways in which our political leadership has approached this remarkable pandemic.
I have yet to be convinced of the merits of the “traffic light” system and can’t help feeling that Aucklanders have been released because the alternative was too dire to contemplate as tempers were running rather thin in our largest city.
I am proud to say that I have had my two jabs and even managed to acquire my vaccination certificate. I would add that, I don’t necessarily believe it works. And I have had only one flu vaccine in my life.
But I see no reason not to get jabbed. I do find it strange that some people are citing “freedom of choice” as a reason for not getting jabbed. They are often, I find, the same people who happily accepted free flu jabs for years.
What I do find a little odd is that, when I asked the person providing my Covid jabs how long the vaccination was good for, it became clear that they actually had very little idea.
The best they could suggest, was “about five or six months”.
Perhaps I have misunderstood something, but – in the welter of rather patronising TV and media pandemic advertising we are surrounded by, courtesy of the government – this point of longevity does not seem to have been made clear.
There are many exhortations for a stated percentage of the population to be jabbed, but I have seen no clear messages coming through as to how long the jabs are good for.
Don’t get me wrong. In the absence of a better alternative, I see no reason not to have a jab. But I do think our government should front up and with some honesty make it clear that this is a short-term solution that will soon have to be repeated, if that is in fact the case.
Surely it is far better to make this clear from the outset?
On a final note, it is great to see that Tauranga is beginning to see the fruits of long-delayed attempts to improve our central business district. Yes, it is annoying to find regular routes cut off by changes in roading as long overdue renovations are attended to.
But we are also proud in this issue to bring an update on progress being made on the new Farmers building, which on completion will make a significant difference to the look and feel of the central city.
We wish you all the best for the festive season.
January 2022 – Read the digital issue
