Grading Your Future

Disasters bring out the best in authority.

Fires, floods, earthquakes , all those things we dread all do arise at some time.

People are at their best at times of great pressure .Adrenalin kicks in and heroes are born.

What else that kicks in these days is bureaucracy .Well it has to but we need to continually learn from reactions to disasters so that future events may be tackled in improved fashion.

Gabrielle had only just receded and already like a mystery in the night , marking appeared on cars and houses identifying those who were safe and those who were suspect. Nobody saw these shady movers with their indelible spray cans and coloured stickers .

The affected parties had to get on with coping but the mark hung over the community like a bad smell.

It appears the Minister in charge at the time had advice and the decision around stickers and control was made quick smart.

Following on from the Christchurch experience it appears that the category system was implemented extremely quickly in response to Gabrielle. It was logical to the powers that be , to reenact .The control had to be asserted .

Had anything been learned from the Christchurch experience? Had the system of categorisation been effective ? What were the consequences?

There was an interesting discussion on radio recently where an Associate Professor from Auckland University commented on the system and questioned it's effectiveness.

Was it right to use the same approach In Auckland and Hawkes Bay?

There are always reactions to decisions. People are people. Once we had a red zone in our area the implications were dire and the reactions swift . There was a lot of secrecy. Questioning.  

Immediately there was division. Red meant financial implications .Some in yellow wanted red. Some in red wanted yellow. Everyone wanted white.

Lines were drawn on maps and lines were drawn in battle.

Then followed the secrecy, the subterfuge, the accommodation of interested parties. Manipulation was to ensue.

Red helped destroy our community.

There was a shift from rebuild to remove. The instigation of coloured meant consequences may be intended.

Kneejerk reactions by Government have had major consequences and in the future I would suggest that we learn from this event   and let more time pass before major decisions are made .The people involved need to be considered .They are the ones with the local knowledge and may be the ability,  to see  what needs to be done.

Communities should be helped to rebuild, not to be destroyed.