$50 Million Down the Plughole

Call it what you like. The pub test, commonsense, local knowledge, logical thinking. The more people in the local community that I talk to the more I get the same answer.

The kneejerk reaction to the flood has seen the boffins spend $50 million on works that are not going to solve any problems.

Locals don't count. Local knowledge doesn't make any difference even when there are 80 year olds that have witnessed all sorts of weather events and stored away in their memories  the impacts, the results and the historical reactions that add to an accumulated store of valuable information that at times like this can be utilised to help make decisions. To help understand. To help the community better prepare for any future events.

A close by neighbour called in during the week and let rip at the destruction occurring along the banks of our local stream.

Trees that have been established for years are being felled and chipped .Yes chipped. What a waste.

They should not be felled at all. What about the environmental impact . Surprising there was no report that stopped the destruction of habitat.

All part of the plan to build a stopbank that will do nothing. A stopbank that is being built to make it look as though something is being achieved. A stopbank project that is costing $50 million .

The community was decimated following Gabrielle and gathered itself together with grit and grind from helping each other and help from an army of volunteers.

Those who were bought out probably gained fom the deal while the remainder have carried on .Watching with disgust now as money goes down the plughole on a poorly thought out response.

It has been heartening that the response from everyone I have talked to has been the same. No need.

The answer lies in other areas which I will divulge in time .