The latest cock-up by the faceless nongs giving advice to those allegedly running this city is the cancellation of the Meerkat siren system that was about to be foisted on us. The Meerkats were small electronic sirens that would be fixed in about 60 positions around the city for an estimated $1 million.
There were many opponents to them, myself included, as the alternative sirens were tried and true air-raid klaxons that were cheaper, more robust and very effective as a major test showed last year.
One of the reasons given by the officers for using the Meerkats was the fact they would not exceed 105 decibels and upset locals!
Unbe-freaking-lievable. In a tsunami event you want to be annoyed by the loudness of sirens - they are there to warn you!
Just where do council recruiters get these people?
One of the reasons councillors reportedly cancelled the contract was because an independent audit by an acoustics consultant found the Meerkats only achieved 50 per cent coverage of at-risk areas when it should have been 80 per cent.
So why did it take council so long to find out the system was not going to do what was wanted?
When Meerkat was asked to review the parameters and cost required to achieve the minimum coverage it came back with a figure that made even Tauranga councillors wince.
To date the Meerkat saga has cost ratepayers $190,000 - not far off the cost of an entire air-raid siren system - and we are back at square one.
What I want to know is who are these unnamed council officers who pushed the Meerkat system despite long and vocal opposition from ratepayers and it not being able to do the job?
They should be identified and appropriate actions taken against them in view of the ratepayer money spent for nothing.
It is long past time council staff were held responsible for their actions. Every time a recommendation is made to councillors it should have the name of the officer attached to it. And questions should also be asked about how the elected members on the council allowed such an obscene waste of public money.
Did they not investigate the siren systems themselves? Even give it a basic once-over? Or ask probing questions of the staff?
No, this whole tsunami siren debate has been an outrage perpetrated upon residents along Tauranga's coastal belt.
We residents have been treated with disdain, arrogance and a lack of interest.
We don't have enough road exits to speed up evacuation and while in a tsunami situation we don't want people trying to drive out of the suburbs we do need the roads as clearways for people to walk, bike or mobility scooter away from the ocean.
An action group yesterday took council to task over allowing more building developments in Papamoa, while not increasing exit roads. They want a freeze on more housing until the situation is improved.
The reported response from council: "Clearly, they don't have all the information to make informed decisions."
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
At least the Papamoa Evacuation and Road Safety Group hasn't wee'ed $190,000 up against the wall over sirens as Tauranga councillors have.
But, dear readers, you'll be thrilled to know the siren saga will drag on and on as officials yabber on about where they can and can't place sirens and wait for national standards to be decided on by Civil Defence - another organisation renowned for moving like a herd of turtles.
There is light on the horizon though - once the siren standards come through the council will hold a workshop to debate it all.
No date has been set for that ... perhaps they're hoping a big wall of water will crash into us before then and they won't need to bother any more.
Speaking of Civil Defence, if you go to their website you will discover than in order to be prepared for an emergency you need to have a Survical Kit. What can you say?
richard@richardmoore.com
Richard Moore is an award-winning Western Bay journalist.
