Peter Carr
As I look out of my office window pondering our good fortune the much-needed rain gently falls onto the barren earth. This without the much-trumpeted ex-cyclone – now downgraded to a tropical storm. The spiralling centre of it now appears to be tracking to the east across the Bay of Plenty and on a course towards the Chatham Islands.
Peter Carr
The reason I mention this near-miss is one of both relief and thanks. The former being obvious – we have scored a relieving point. But we have been superbly led with a multitude of cautions (local and national) which have manifest themself in this house with the garden furniture now snug, dry and happy in the garage.
Which brings me to council (especially Waipā District Council) pronouncements by way of updates on a number of fronts including the recent major effect of water on the western side of the district at Pirongia. The Facebook (and no doubt other) updates from WDC – including mayor Mike gaining the award for Communicator of the Year – have been exemplary. This time round we have gained a regular and open avenue of visually provided information with the mayor’s clear and concise tones ensuring that all who need to know can rest easy, safe in the knowledge that ‘we are working on it’ pronouncements are being maintained.
This naturally results in an expectation that this avenue of clear and up-to-date information will continue, and it is pleasing to note that both mayor Mike and deputy Jo are also reporting to the camera with soundbites informing on weighty matters from around the big table in Te Awamutu.
It is easy to ‘slag’ a council – any council. And for some time over recent years WDC has been a bit sleepy in this open information area. But we are looking forward, and want to share the ride, with the elected councillors and chief executive Steph O’Sullivan’s hard-working team.
I am sure we will hear over the next few days that the weather officials over-reacted. Sadly, we have a good number of residents devoid of anything worthwhile to do but criticise. Well during my maritime studies many years ago – and living, later, through cyclones / hurricanes / typhoons on seas with terrifying strengths – we always acknowledged never to take an oncoming, rapidly circulating, water sucking storm lightly. The maritime term ‘batten down the hatches’ is very apt here. Having seen – on more than one occasion – Northland, Coromandel and Tairawhiti areas devastated beyond sensible and easy repair bear witness to the requirement for over-caution rather than resulting drowned stock and homeless people.
Yet caution sometimes appears to go too far. I understand that there is an international agreement that airplanes with more than 90 passengers flying internally within the country must be supplemented with security systems. Which possibly explains why my plane to Christchurch last week was graced – pre-boarding – with seven vigilant security staff and two, armed, lady police officers. While the chances of some lunatic hell-bent on airborne destruction should not be on a plane with 89 passengers begs the question – why 90?
