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.