Reinventing the Wheel

The ongoing discussions around a politicians dream are costing thousands of dollars and hours of time going around and around issues that have been before us not too long ago and bypassing solutions that astute observers are already aware of.

I have mentioned catchments previously and over the last week have listened to discussions by people that have finally discovered these things called catchments and that they are real and you can't divvy them up in some great deranged attempt at cutting costs foist upon us from bureaucrats and politicians that live in an alternative universe.

Catchments are the crutch of the issue and one of the main reasons that regional councils were formed.

To listen to a new raft of  parties trying to reinvent what we already have is frustrating and disappointing.

This is coming about because of the loss of institutional knowledge. Local government (and other bodies) have gone through a period where the experienced engineers, on the ground operators and a raft of  knowledge carrying staff were quietly moved on to retirement and other areas of endeavour.

The impact on this has been drastically underestimated as the new crew of know it alls have been left floundering and bereft of ideas when it comes to dealing with problems.

It was obvious following Gabrielle but three years down the track it is apparent that the whole country is suffering from knowledge neglect.

So we have commentators and even politicians discovering things like riparian planting and wilding pines as though they have just appeared out of the woodwork.

  Listening to a new crop of MP's in the house is concerning as many are young and have not had the benefit of working with experienced MP's and it shows in answers at question time. It's pretty sad.

I am hoping that there will be some changes after the election that will see wiser heads prevail but given some of the players involved  I am losing hope.

Ratepayers will be losers next year.