Letters: Praise for help during floods

Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/File

Local action

My wife and I were fortunate to barely escape the freak flood on Sunday by a matter of millimetres, while some of our closest neighbours had their houses inundated.

We want to say how impressed we were with the emergency services and Civil Defence personnel on the night, and since then the follow-up by Rotorua Lakes Council staff.

We have felt that we have been watched and protected. We have also been incredibly impressed by the way the local community has stepped up in a time of crisis to help those whose lives have been devastated. It has been heartening to watch.

What we have witnessed in Ngongotaha is a freak event that could not have been forecast.

I hope that those who continually seek to criticise the council and other authorities can put aside their political agendas for the moment while we all work to get through this major crisis.

Keith Garratt
Ngongotaha

Political points

The flooding damages in Ngongotaha are heartbreaking, one can only imagine the stressful Sunday night many had away from their homes imagining the carnage waiting for them upon their return.

It's heartwarming seeing the way people around Rotorua have sprung into action to help those affected, from the Millennium Hotel opening its doors, to churches and community groups helping with warmth and kai, to Waiariki MP Tamati Coffey helping out at the EEC on the night of the flood, along with many others.

However, it's disappointing to see the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers (RDRR) group using the heartbreaking situation as an attempt, in my view, to score political points over their opposition to the housing development in Ngongotaha (Local News, May 2).

Yes, the proposed housing development site took on a lot of water but let's not forget that this was a result of Rotorua's wettest hour in recorded history. With adequate infrastructure, if a similar extreme weather event was to reoccur, then houses built on the land would be absolutely fine.

Perhaps the RDRR should instead join with the rest of the community and show manaakitanga (care) towards those displaced by flood waters along with those who are in overcrowded homes, under blankets in their cars, those homeless on the streets, or from people chasing home ownership and support more homes in our community.

Well done to Civil Defence, volunteers, council staff and everyone who helped others in our community.
(Abridged)

Ryan Gray
Rotorua

Festival flop

For once I agree with a council report, this one pertaining to the huge belly flop that was the Mudtopia festival.

This report, based on "a comprehensive feasibility study", recommends canning the festival and potentially selling the concept to another enterprise.

Only 1500 of those who partook in the festival paid for their tickets.

The rest, 12,000 locals and 3000 sponsors got freebies. Fixed costs were $170,000 and the loss was $570,000. Why wasn't a "comprehensive feasibility study" done prior to planning the festival?

Who, in their right mind would sign up to "buy" such a concept? Why were fanciful ideas allowed to overrule common sense and financial prudence?

Rachel Stewart (Opinion, May 2) may have some of the answers when she contends "that some of the dullest minds in the country are sitting around local government tables making decisions much bigger than their neurons can effectively process".

I fear a number of those within our hallowed halls fit this description and we, the ratepayers, are paying the price for this lack of neurons.
(Abridged)

Paddi Hodgkiss
Rotorua