Surf lifeguards rescued 79 people from floodwaters in Auckland over night. Photo / Surf Life Saving Northern Region
Intensive housing = flooding
The recent 249mm of rainfall that fell on Friday had a catastrophic effect on the Auckland region and has led to damage to infrastructure, buildings and, sadly, the loss of lives.
Perhaps it is time we revisited the rapid housing intensification that is happening in Auckland, without the need for resource consents (and so the opportunity to address natural hazards and possible mitigations).
Increasingly we are seeing houses being established in little dips and hollows which historically provided unobstructed passage for floodwaters, and developments that encroach on cliff edges. We are also seeing new develop-ments with very little landscaping, and total removal of mature trees and other vegetation which helps reduce runoff and erosion of the land during storm events.
I think it is time that a rethink is had on housing intensification and tree removal before it becomes too late to avoid or mitigate the increasing effects of climate change, which is associated with more frequent and high-intensity storms.
These fast-track projects are definitely leading to increased exposure to natural hazards.
Alison Feeney, Remuera.
Rainstorm a wake-up call
As Jamie Morton’s article makes clear (Herald on Sunday, 29 January), with warming sea temperatures due to climate change unfortunately Auckland will experience more heavy rain events like last week’s one in the future.
Meanwhile, the Government is requiring our Auckland Council to allow three three-storey houses to be built, without a resource consent, on almost every residential site in Auckland.
Without resource consent scrutiny, how can we be sure that these houses won’t be built on floodplains, or too close to the sea, or on unstable land, and that there is enough stormwater capacity to service them?
John Burns, Balmoral.
Disaster brings out the best
On Saturday, after the rainstorm, my faith in human nature was restored.
My daughter’s house was one of the thousands that were flooded.
As we were busy trying to clear away the damage, to our amazement a small army of people came up the driveway equipped with their own water pumps, dry vacs, dry towels, asking us if we needed help. They immediately got to work and were an amazing help. Then they were off to help others in the neighbourhood, telling us they would be back to check if we needed any further assistance.
It is acts like this that restore your faith in human nature when there is so much negativity. Thanks Hauraki corner community, you are wonderful people.
Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.
Brown’s conduct pathetic
I am writing to communicate my extreme disappointment with Mayor Wayne Brown in his conduct as leader of our city during the recent extreme weather event.
While it may in fact not be his role to “rush out with buckets”, it most certainly is to provide steady and reassuring leadership during a crisis, and to respond with the above quote is churlish at best.
He then told broadcaster Kim Hill: “Well it’ll be interesting to see how Wellington copes when the earthquake strikes.”
This is baffling to me. He seems to be saying that his glaring absence of appropriate leadership is excusable based on the future behaviour of unknown parties in regards to a hypothetical event.
This is unacceptable. He will find a catastrophic earthquake in our nation’s capital, presumably fatal, interesting?
I don’t use this word loosely: His conduct has been pathetic. I expect better from my city’s leadership, and am embarrassed on behalf of Auckland.
In short, Mayor Brown, pull your bloody head in, or vacate the role for someone who doesn’t behave like a petulant 6-year-old when asked to speak to the reponsibilities they willingly campaigned to take on.
Adam Wright, Mount Roskill.
More rains means more drains
As will increasingly be the case, more rain means current stormwater infra-structure can’t cope. The answers are bigger drains, better drains, more planting, less concrete. Three Waters means clean beaches, no more houses destroyed by rain events and clean drinking water. How the message got lost by the advertising and marketing team is tragic. I’m not a copywriter or a marketing guru making six figures a year but surely a slogan could be: MORE RAINS MEANS MORE DRAINS.
Who wants to pay for it?
John Buchan, Torbay
Heartwarming clean-up
It was heartwarming to see families on Takapuna Beach with containers picking up plastic debris entangled in seaweed, following the horrific storm of the past few days.
There is such a lot to clean up. Maybe this practice could be publicised and encouraged. It is fun, draws attention to the importance of not dropping litter and could make a small but significant difference to a very large problem.
Susan Heap, Takapuna.
Thanks, first responders
Aucklanders have just been through a weather event, the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
On speaking about the volunteer lifeguards who were kept busy rescuing people throughout the night, Surf Life Saving Northern Region chief executive Matt Williams stated: “Our message to Aucklanders is they’re yours to treasure and look after, so make sure they are well supported.” We must do that. His message is powerful, and it also applies to all first responders. We are truly thankful for you all being there to help us.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Time to get prepared
The last few years have hopefully taught us that we should expect the unexpected.
The Christchurch massacre, Whakaari/White Island, Covid and now extreme rainfall causing heartbreaking flooding are an illustration of what may lie ahead.The point is who do we contact when one of these calamities occurs? How should we react to a declared State of Emergency and what does it actually mean? Every household should have an information pamphlet that sets out steps we should take and who we are able to contact for help. Not everyone is online. 111 is only for emergencies and does not cater for the thousands that need assistance but are not deemed life-threatening.
Do we have sufficient organisations and relief centres to cope with future disasters that will surely come?
Reg Dempster, Albany.
Business despair
Newly-appointed Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has declared a reset is necessary to address a faltering economy. He might well take note of the lowest business confidence since the 1970s, the additional compliance costs and complexity of managing a business imposed in recent years. Five extra days sick leave, 30 per cent increase in minimum wage rates, four weeks’ compulsory redundancy, the Matariki holiday, increased maternity leave, the pending Fair Pay Agreements, a possible workplace insurance scheme.
The impositions are daunting, yet no tax relief is in sight. Sadly many in business (the creators of jobs) will capitulate. The regulatory demands of compliance, in commencing a fledgling enterprise and to employ staff, are overwhelming. This the reality, why bother?
P.J.Edmondson, Tauranga.
Weed out terrorists
Grant Robertson, worthy to be thought of as one of New Zealand’s best finance ministers based on the countless number of businesses he kept afloat during Covid lockdowns and deserving of New Zealand’s highest honour, now — because of death threats to himself and his family — has to step out of the limelight and take a minor role.
These purveyors of death threats to politicians are no different to terrorists and should be treated as such. It shouldn’t be to difficult using the terrorists’ own methods to weed them out of the ratholes whence they came and lock them away for good if necessary.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Questions on Ardern exit
Jacinda Ardern carefully planned her exit, with the handover to Chris Hipkins perfectly executed. Hipkins has admitted as much. She is astute enough as a politician to realise that her “magic dust” was no longer effective and the writing was on the wall for a probable loss at the next election. Much better for her international CV to leave under the guise of an exhausted but popular PM than a spent force after a losing election.
James Archibald, Birkenhead.
The circumstances around the death are being treated as unexplained.