Members' Letters

A letter in Grey Power magazine (September 2025) regarding hidden dangers in electronic doors, prompted me to share the following incident involving a TravelScoot ridden by an older gentleman. Last year he informed me that he had tipped over on the scooter and broken his hip. I looked at the...

They used to fluff up hats with Mercury nitrate, until the hat makers went mad! They used to put arsenic into wallpaper before they found a safer green dye and they used to build homes in New Zealand with asbestos cladding for better home insulation – warmer in winter,...

Like others, I am aware of downsides to purchasing in a retirement village especially where there is no capital gain at re-sale. Unfortunately, that can be many years after purchase when real estate prices may have risen substantially but do not benefit the license to occupy resident. It doesn’t seem...

My partner, Alys was recently knocked to the ground when a shop’s electronic doors closed on her as she stepped through them – the incident was caught on security camera. As she was knocked over, her legs were pushed together and, on falling, her hips and head impacted on the pavement...

Grey Power members have long been concerned that the income abatement threshold required to qualify for the Rates Rebate Scheme has been exceptionally low thereby penalising many struggling property owners whose incomes were only marginally over the threshold. Recently, Grey Power president, Gayle Chambers received good news from the Minister...

What an excellent March magazine. Initially, I had severe reservations about the costs of publishing a hard copy simply because of the financial impact of burgeoning mail costs on Grey Power resources. However, I have changed my mind and agree that a $10 annual subscription, paid direct to our...

Re: Grey Power Magazine, March 2025 – letter ‘Outrageous Profiteering’ It is quite true what Josephine Richards has to say about retirement villages and the profit they make from their residents. I am a resident in one and have to accept those conditions. However, why do many of us do just...

I continue to be amazed by the readiness of many retirees to give away their children’s inheritance and line the pockets of wealthy developers by moving into a “license to occupy” village. Not only do they not own the land where they live, most  lose 30% of the original purchase...

As a tiny, resource-rich nation New Zealand should be right up there with Singapore and the Nordic nations as one of the planet’s cleanest, safest and richest nations (per capita income). We have never been so far from that ideal. Firstly, the massive divergence between where we are and where...

Recently having a stroke and approaching 80, I took the AA one-hour senior’s driving assessment. It was very helpful, with assessing my driving ability. Thanks to an article in a recent Grey Power magazine, Dave said that I was fully competent with my driving skills. I guess the fear...