Editorial April 2006

Kia Ora,

Inadequate infrastructures are behind many of the problems we are facing in New Zealand today. The vital services upon which we depend - such as electricity, phone and water -- are under threat.

  In the rapid expansion of housing into rural areas, there are inadequate services to meet the demand. An example is Puhoi; the physical lines for both electricity and phones are trying, but failing to handle an increase in traffic, which is probably 300% greater than it was five years ago. New housing, plus an expanding e-mail clientele using phone lines regularly causes overloading, and thus delay and disruption. Despite the increased revenue the 'bottom line' is further expanded by avoiding regular maintenance, consequently the services frequently collapse.

      In the City, water shortages of 1992 brought fast track regulations and multimillion-dollar installed pipelines to bring e-coli bearing water from the Waikato River -- and massive profit for the contracting company. Yet any minute now, Auckland will be facing water shortages again; problem not solved [more profits to be made].

   If only there had been a major drive to install rainwater tanks on properties throughout the metropolis, the problem would be virtually non-existent. This could have been easily financed with loan repayments from the government in the same way as CNG installations and motor vehicles in the Eighties.

   Further problems related to inadequate infrastructures are the systems of controls themselves, which are outdated and not in line with modern speed of Life.  Thus, with a bottomless pit of Ratepayers’ money, Rodney District Council’s bureaucratic staff has doubled, and highly paid consultants stand in the pay queues -- too many chiefs and too few Indians to actually complete already decided outcomes.

   Poorest paid “chiefs” are those who call the shots on behalf of the ratepayer. Pay for an elected councillor is so small that most academic working people could not afford to take on the job. While many of the councillors are doing an effective job, council faces inadequate problems within the system.

   Without concerning ourselves with the individuals currently involved, the ongoing conflict between (in particular, one) councillor and Mayor highlights why a non-voting professional chairperson, and not the mayor should chair council. With elections every three years, everyone with an eye on the Mayoralty next time begins campaigning immediately; whether this is true in this case, only the future will demonstrate.

   Precedent for this is the long term “Speaker” in Parliament. The Prime Minister and leader of the opposition remain free to disagree with each other actively but under the tight structure of House rules.

   As things are, one cannot but one wonder what the delays caused by the [intra-council]  conflict are costing -- how many more unproductive thousands of dollars are going down the drain  -- and upping the cost of the next Rate demand.

   Of course, everyone is caught between the necessity of achieving results and the delay of restructuring organisational procedures.

   As we wait for adequate infrastructure and correction of organisational procedures, buckets of money is available to the unscrupulous.

 -- PER, Managing Editor.

NB:  This whole area of ‘Life in NZ’ appears to be on most people’s thoughts.  Do share yours with us – without your name having to be published (but your identity known to Editor).

Puhoi's Tourist site* www.puhoi.com    Have you taken photos in Puhoi? - Please let us know

Waiwera's Tourist site* www.waiwera-nz.com    Have you taken photos in Puhoi? - Please let us know