A Rural Post van abandoned in floodwaters on SH16 at Kaukapakapa. Photo / Michael Craig
A Rural Post van abandoned in floodwaters on SH16 at Kaukapakapa. Photo / Michael Craig
Super disconnect
Perhaps the failure of the Auckland Council to respond at pace to flooding across Auckland communities will bring about a much-needed review into whether the “Super City” is working for its constituents. It was notable that despite evacuations on Friday evening, Māngere did not have a local CivilDefence evacuation centre until Sunday morning. South Auckland has long felt overlooked in the Super City and this event has confirmed that the Auckland Council is spread too thin to take care of the needs of its widespread constituents. Local boards lack teeth, power and mana, and mayoral races have become much more partisan on the left or right in Auckland compared to mayoral races in other parts of the country. I can’t help imagining how different the response could have been if separate councils through Auckland had been able to respond to their local people’s needs instead of a central power struggling to understand what was happening from Pukekohe to Wellsford. The Auckland Super City structure was imposed despite widespread opposition from Aucklanders. It is time for an assessment of whether it has served the people and met the promises of the politicians who forced it upon us.
Rachel Bates, Remuera.
Face of fear
Mayor Wayne Brown’s face during his media interview (NZ Herald, January 30) showed fear and thank goodness for that. While some would say that his fear was born out of facing the media, (his bete noire) others would see that it reflected the fact that he is fully aware of the significance of the extreme weather event hitting Auckland and the Upper North Island. “This is serious stuff.” There are some who are calling for his resignation because he wasn’t available enough to the media or registering enough positivity by reeling off smiles, platitudes, and clichés within an hour or two of the deluge hitting Auckland on Friday night. The same people who were so grateful during the pandemic for “Jacinda keeping us safe” now expect Mayor Brown (and other leaders) to come up with similar platitudes and reassurances. ”Aucklanders are a resilient lot”.” We’ll get through this.” “Tune into my daily broadcasts and you’ll be safe.” Brown is more of a realist. He knows that the magnitude of this extended weather event will change the face of Auckland and New Zealand. We don’t need platitudes. We need deep thinking, expertise, collaboration, and the will to get things done. Maybe his dour expression will help focus the minds of some of the more flakey, politically-driven local body employees, who have neglected their real responsibilities for too long. They need to know that this situation is real.
There are very many in this fine city who would like to provide financial support to people hard hit by the flooding of their homes and premises. The mayor should immediately launch a relief fund and invite donations with a target of $20 million within 10 days. The fund should then be allocated promptly to many of the excellent social service organisations in our society. I predict that donations would exceed $20 million and many hard-hit people would be helped greatly.
Prior to the Super City, Auckland’s local councils worked together and developed five or six well-managed emergency operation centres (EOC) throughout the whole region. These were well-equipped, community-facing centres and had trained, supported, and equipped hundreds of local community volunteers. Sadly these accessible local functions were then dismantled and replaced with the single head office staffed EOC we have today. Perhaps it’s time to examine Auckland’s emergency management and make it a high priority once again, maybe at the expense of council’s more frivolous roles.
David Cooper, Ōrewa.
Leading question
When Wayne Brown was campaigning to be Mayor of Auckland, he declared that he was going to dispense with the services of all the consultants employed by the Auckland Council as he considered them to be a complete waste of ratepayers’ money. Now when he is looking for other people to blame for his failure to declare a state of local emergency hours before he actually did, he is stating that the consultants didn’t tell him that he should declare a state of emergency, and now he is claiming he completely relies on consultants to tell him what to do. Clearly, he is incapable of carrying out his duties as Mayor of Auckland, and should immediately resign.
It was wonderful to see the amazing behaviour of Aucklanders in looking after their neighbours during the recent floods. It bolsters my faith in human nature. The only fly in the ointment has been the ongoing churlish behaviour of Mayor Brown. He should be grateful that he had a grown-up in the form of Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson to drag him away from his press conference before he further insulted the good people of Auckland.
Chris Abley, Mt Albert.
Petelo Veukiso, 12, joins other volunteers, support services, and Auckland councillors providing support for flood victims in Māngere. Photo/ Dean Purcell.
Pouring scorn
Whilst the response by those in charge may not have been perfect, no amount of prior warning or organisation would have lessened the amount of rain that fell or the effect it had. It’s ridiculous to be asking for resignations and the like. It’s all too easy for others to nit-pick and split hairs as the situation became clear and profess what could or should have been done. All those people need to just calm the farm and maybe help out a bit rather than fuel outrage and negativity.
Richard Anderson, Martinborough.
Labour legacy
After nearly six years of a Labour Government, NZ ranks by far the lowest with regard to number of deaths per million from Covid, compared with Ireland, UK, USA, France and Sweden. Also compared with those countries we have the lowest debt, lowest unemployment, and we rate top in quality of life. We are second from the top out of 10 countries, for human freedom. Before we vote next October, it would be well for citizens to know these facts.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Cornucopian dream
Gord Stewart (NZ Herald, January 27) seems blissfully unaware of the limitations of topography. Calling for our country to be covered in crops and banishing livestock in the interests of climate change, he perhaps imagines our mountains ringed with terraced gardens cultivated by legions of imported peasants. The climate might co-operate, but soil fertility would pose a challenge. As a former grower the cynic in me suggests markets could prove resistant to an overabundance of fruit salad. He also invokes the usual bogies around meat-induced diseases while blithely ignoring the amount of processing involved in dairy milk alternatives. Many farmers are open to “a change in mindset”, but as a solution to methane reduction Gord’s suggestions are neither original nor realistic. A more viable alternative for climate change would be to address the real livestock issue - human overpopulation. The more mouths there are to feed, the greater the need for flat land for fruit and vegetable production. And as any real estate agent will tell you, they’re not making any more of that. In the meantime, I’m off to plant my paddocks with pineapples. Or maybe rice would be more appropriate.
Rebecca Glover, Waiuku.
Finding fault
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission will take 18 months to determine the reason for the Cook Strait ferry engine failure (NZ Herald, January 30). This is a disgraceful situation and should not be tolerated by the public whose safety depends on the prompt determination of faults and appropriate timely corrective action. The Government needs to fix this pathetic situation immediately. If your car or boat engine stops, a mechanic will tell you what went wrong in 10 minutes. Is this yet another case of bureaucratic patch protection?
Doug Armstrong, Glendowie.
Unfit for purpose
The Herald reports (January 30) that school uniforms are a big expense, almost out of reach for some. So why have them? The requirement for school uniforms looks like a legacy of the past, no longer fit for purpose. Another issue would be to make them simple, affordable and practical if you have them at all. Many uniforms are seriously unattractive and look both uncomfortable and lacking in grace and design. When our 4-year-old son started at Scotts College in Wellington, he was made to wear a tie and jacket every day. On a four-year-old! So antiquated. In Sweden, school uniforms are not allowed unless they are voluntary. Perhaps an idea for New Zealand and would remove angst and expense for many families and life more comfortable for students.
Frank Olsson, Freemans Bay,
Short and sweet
On Brown
While it’s great that our Mayor has learned some “lessons” about emergency response, this was not a training exercise. This was the real deal, and it appears that Wayne Brown is not. Ken Taylor, Māngere.
Give Wayne Brown a fighting chance guys, after all, you have given the Warriors 27 odd years. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
On Wayne Brown’s incompetence, I can’t get Mrs Slocombe’s famous line from Are You Being Served out of my head: ”weak as water, weak as water the lot of you”. Excuse the pun. Helen Lowe, Albany.
On Wilson
Brilliant “bread and butter” article (NZH, Jan. 30) by Simon Wilson. It takes intelligence to write on a complex subject in such a clear and accessible way. With a dash of wit. Lesley Haddon, Rotorua.
On letters
I blame everyone else should I ever write inane letters to the Herald. It is not, and cannot possibly be, my fault; I’m perfect. P K Ellwood, Beach Haven.
On schools
The Labour Government seems unable to get away from its “lock-down” mentality. John Strevens, Remuera.
Nothing has changed. Just check your food, housing, and transport bills. There will be no Hipkins’ discount when you have to pay them. Pim V.
It’s certainly a good thing for democracy. It’s never a good thing for any political party to sleepwalk to victory. It’s going to be a great election night Phil Z.
He can’t be a game-changer if nothing is changing. Reprioritising before the election is not changing. Kathy A.
It’s hard to understand why Labour can bounce back in the polls. The very limit my imagination can reach is either the polls can’t reflect the true preferences of voters or New Zealand voters are too inclusive towards all those non-deliveries of the incumbent government but too harsh and irrational towards the opposition party. Patrick H.
I think the bump was expected for Labour, but it’s only put them about level with National. For me, the crunch for each party will be what happens in the next couple of months. For Labour, it’ll depend on what policies it decides to keep or ditch, which could be the difference. (Three Waters, RNZ/TVNZ merger etc) and for National, it needs to start putting out some good, well-thought-out policy, not reactionary policy, or unsustainable policy, but proper policy that will work long term to get New Zealand back on track with regards to the economy, crime, and all the other important stuff which has fallen by the wayside. Jeremy T.
