Who is Legislation For?

I guess I knew the answer but today I had it confirmed that the rigidity of legislation has been a major hinderance to a helpful response to Gabrielle.

It is not just Gabrielle but any major event that impacts on ratepayers. It will be the case following the recent  tornado in Mangawhai. 

Legislation is not only a hinderance it is also a community killer.

I haven't had time to check but I suspect Christchurch had the same issues following the earthquake and there will be other events around the country with similar outcomes.

One would think that a Government and Councils would act to support and help people and communities in times of natural disasters.

They do in a way that is limited .Why?

There are many fingers in the pie.

What has been obvious since Gabrielle is the massive variation in peoples situations. Every neighbour has a different story. 

It was an eyeopener to me when comparing notes with fellow flood survivors.

Not that it was a fact but levelling act of a disaster brings everyone down to a point where it doesn't matter what you have in the bank you are all facing a disaster. A major event in ones life.

That brings me back to legislation and its place in the system.

The bureaucrats rush off to their desks and consult all the legislation that pertains to an emerging situation.

Ah, we can do this and we can do that but no, we can't do this and we can't do that.

The rules are the rules and yes we must have rules.

The problem is the rules in some cases are not fit for purpose. Further the authorities are hell bent on

upholding the law. Even more complications arise when there are rules that are inconsistent and conflicting between involved authorities.

As an elected person I never had to confront the difficulties of a disaster but I am sure I would have been asking hard questions around any relative legislation. Faults become exposed and need analysing.

I now have confirmed some of the legislation that,  I believe , has  had a negative effect on ratepayers and their handling by authorities following Gabrielle.

Surely someone has challenged these legislative negatives before?

The current legislation allows Government and Councils to escape responsibility and to undermine ratepayers in their quest to get their lives back.

This has to be  wrong. 

 

 

What a Difference

I watched the press conference with President Trump following his visit to, first North Carolina and then to California to observe the destruction caused by flooding and wildfires.

What a difference to have a leader that understands problems and can immediately react in a positive way to  help resolve them.

I was impressed with his understanding and support of the people .He understands that where they live is important to them and he can see their home has been their life .

He was unequivocal  when it came to rebuilding and returning to their homes. None of the  bureaucratic brakes and spanners in the works to scupper plans for people to get their lives back. No he was totally receptive to people rebuilding and re establishing .

He could see people understand their surroundings and know how to respond to the situation and factor in lessons learned.

  Let the people make decisions about their future not authorities.

He was clear in his understanding as he said that one week was too long for people  to be with held from returning to their properties that had been burnt down.

They wanted to get back and clear up the mess and make decisions themselves.

The idea that safety was an issue was overruled .Let the people decide.

What was striking was his understanding of something I have observed in my own area.

If the approach by authorities is to stall, put up barriers, generally interfere then gradually people lose their spirit.

They lose their spirit and over a period of time cave in .They lose their spirit  and strength to carry on and slowly the community crumbles.

It was great that Trump used that very phrase. 'People will lose their spirit ' and he was dead right.

Trump also told the authorities that people should be able to build with no permits and be allowed to add 10% to their houses if they wanted to.

What a breath of fresh air compared to our nightmare situation and the demise of our community.

  

Modelling Mania

Given more information today about the absolute madness that has infected bureaucrats following Gabrielle.

It likely follows other major events but at least I am in the middle of this one.

We have a system where bad decisions are made and then there are coverups, next we move to prove that steps can be taken to prevent something happening again when it is likely it won't happen again.

Logic goes out the window. Commonsense goes out the window  . Modelling becomes the solution.

Sometimes I wish we did not have computers. They have replaced rational thought and critical thinking.

Our community has been destroyed by a generation of keyboard Kens and Karens.

Peoples lives have been destroyed by measures that stem from cold ,  heartless nonsense  .

There has been an obsession with the idea that because Gabrielle happened it will happen again and be the same in path and magnitude.

This obsession has led to decisions being made off the back of modelling , that results in massive expenditure on infrastructure for no logical reason. It is all kneejerk reaction.

For example I am told of a slipway that is to be built beside a stream that never floods and the property owner where the authorities want to build this slipway, have been told if they don't sell to the council they will take the land under the Public Works Act.

This is outrageous .

It appears millions is being spent on stopbanks that have no purpose.

A cyclone the magnitude of Gabrielle will not happen again in this area and if it does it will be in hundreds of years time.

Trying to predict a path or intensity or impact of a cyclone is fraught with  difficulty and something needs to be done to prevent this irrational focus on fantasy and to bring back experience and commonsense to decision making. 

 

State of the Nation Address

Nearly two years after the Gabrielle visit and some are only just beginning to reconstruct their houses and surrounds.

It has taken that long to settle claims and get some action. The stress involved has been immense.

It is sad how the main areas damaged , Esk Valley, Puketapu, Fernhill  and Pakowhai   have largely been ignored.

All these areas involved in primary production and it would be a good move to have a report look at  the impact on the regions economy of the last two years and if the recovery has been complete.

It is truly remarkable that much of the flooded land is producing something again given the hammering it received.

There are two parts to this recovery however,

Communities have been affected forever and so many people have moved out leaving a core group who are trying to cope with new circumstances.

I relate this to the State of the Nation address as today I see a government encouraging overseas investment.

It's the same old story .

To hell with the New Zealander who wants to get somewhere and especially to hell with communities that have been decimated by natural disasters.

There is absolutely no plan for the Government or Councils to help our own when it comes to disasters.

I think there are measures that could be taken at a time like this , to,  at first recognise the huge impact 

on people and the local economy , and then work out a plan to help return things to where they were or as close to as possible.

I say this as a free market person who does not like subsidies or handouts but experiencing this upheaval it has made me think differently.

When a natural disaster of the magnitude of Gabrielle occurs it is an extraordinary event. I mean it is massive .It is beyond insurance .It is almost beyond comprehension.

Surely this calls for extraordinary measures to deal with 1000 year events.

I have recently been dealing with an issue relating to the flood that I can't reveal .It has left me perplexed , bewildered, flat. Emotions I haven't felt for some time as it has been adrenalin filled reactions for some time.

There is a big hole in our Governance that the people fall in to. It's like a sink hole that you don't see until it's too late.

Only those who have experienced a disaster will be aware

The area devastated in Hawkes Bay was substantial and may be it could be recognised for its contribution to the New Zealand economy in preference to encouraging overseas investment .

Lets get our priorities right.

  

 

 

 

 The Arguments Start

It doesn't take long.

After any major weather event the blame game soon comes along.

The California fires are being blamed on people, climate ,arsonists, and the Green brigade.

It is difficult watching the press give headlines to all and sundry who claim to know the reasons behind fires and hurricanes.

I favour more critical thinking and analysis of the situation.  Every country is different in its approach to disasters and have their own governance arrangements and ruling authorities. At the same time there is much in common in dealing with the power of nature.

Unfortunately the wrong people often get to write the reports or produce assessments for Governments and we carry on down the path to more of the same.

There is never enough resources, never enough money, never enough insurance.

On insurance the last few disasters such as California, North Carolina and Florida along with Gabrielle in NZ , have thrown up many questions about the insurance model. Is it in need of a new approach?

There are huge discrepancies between settlements and major issues over what is and is not covered. People have benefited hugely from payouts ,others still arguing.

I had felt following the Christchurch earthquake that the industry would have learned many lessons and implemented changes that would have helped with more recent disasters but maybe not.

There are some major issues in this area and it may not suit the insurance industry to change.

I have seen a new model in the US that is promising and even have an idea myself.

Lets see what eventuates.   

 

 Fires and Destruction

Can't help but note the traumatic situation in Los Angeles following the horrendous fires that have been raging in the area.

Fire is such a frightening event and to have such a huge area decimated in what seems such a little time period ,is hard to compute.

The result of the floods and fire sees the same heart wrenching loss of items that cannot be replaced. It is hard realising  precious photos covering decades of travel and events can be lost in a flash.

There is no answer. They are gone never to be replaced. That was one of the things that hit home to me after the flood.

The most precious things are those things you cannot replace. You can buy a new fridge or couch but you can't replace a time captured in print .

I feel for those in LA .   

Is this the right Question?

The NZ Herald has a headline this morning

Summer reads.  Earthquakes, eruptions, floods -what science learned about natural disasters in 2024.

These natural events happen all the time. Scientists know what they are and have pondered these events forever.

There will always be different interpretations about the whys and wherefores when it comes to natural events .That is a given. Are they a disaster  ? Well given the possibility of a large magnitude event then , yes they can be a disaster.

Maybe the question is what have politicians and the public learned about natural disasters?

We do not appear to have thinking politicians any longer. They do not exist.

 Disasters get in the way. They cost money  and disrupt normal life. Throw money at the problem (as little as possible) and hope people move on .

It could be beneficial for politicians to engage with a range of scientists to follow up on extreme events and discuss any changes that can be made to better respond to these events and identify flaws in the system. I say a range of scientists as it is not good enough to only consult with Government funded advisors .

It could also be useful to discuss events with people who have years of experience living in areas hit by 

disasters and add their valued knowledge   to the scientists in formulating future responses.

A blend of ideas offers a better base to work from.

New Year

Note I didn't say "Happy" New Year.

It is hard to be happy about a coming year when there are so many issues ahead and so many problems in the world.

Are we on the brink of a major change for good or not? A new administration in The USA may promise a better future but there are many who wish to throw a spanner in the works.

It is interesting that 10 year bond rates are not behaving as predicted months ago and there is  a conflict developing between inflation and central banks normal control of the situation. Increased interest rates are not controlling inflation and stress amongst the masses that hold debt is going to increase not decrease.

There are many  mortgage holders that are going to face increases in payments as they come off interest rates in the vicinity of 4% only to be confronted with a jump to around 7%.

The galling fact about this situation is that it was created by the Reserve Banks .They handed out money at low rates during the manufactured crisis , captured the borrowing sector in a greed frenzy and now they are crushing the very same people.

No accountability.

Is the system in need of a change?

It appears we in the West,  are heading for a very trying time.

Those of us that were hammered by weather events on top of the covid capture are a mere pest in the system and it's good luck if you make it through.

My experience in re fixing my mortgage is being stored for future reference.