Path: ...!eternal-september.org!reader01.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Rich80105 Newsgroups: nz.general Subject: A Call for a return of the Ministry of Works? Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2022 13:49:44 +1200 Organization: None Lines: 30 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Info: reader01.eternal-september.org; posting-host="3a7852a915ebba201ecc66ece8d51131"; logging-data="2954076"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18mz8HMn0UBPHQqUTXwlE11k/4qyFGM6Ys=" User-Agent: ForteAgent/8.00.32.1272 Cancel-Lock: sha1:hgFnws1boQosG2QV4Ztxpvr92S0= Bytes: 2546 An interesting article about the recent damage in Nelson and other areas from high rainfall: https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2022/08/22/nzs-emergency-management-agency-is-put-to-the-test-and-flood-devastation-suggests-it-needs-a-repair-function/ They are clear that the damage is the result of Climate change, but make an interesting assuption that this means that the government are not just responsible gpt damage to property that the government owns or maintains (such as State Highways, Schools, hospitals etc), but also for bailing out local government and possibly private propoerty owners! My understanding is that the rules for EQC were changed following the Christchurch earthquakes to limit EQC liability to $150,000 for each household - if costs are likely to be higher then the claim will be the responsibility of the private insurer, (presuming it was insured). The local authority is responsible for the supply of clean water and disposal of both sewage and stormwater, but the article presumes that government will have to help out - and the author suggests that it is time for the equivalent of the old Ministry of Works. The obvious question is how costs should be shared between the local authority and government - if the local authority has set rates too low and has insufficient funds, should the government lend them the money to meet their responsibilities for local issues, and should the government set up a central disaster recovery organisation to compete with private sector companies? The website may be seen as politically biassed, but whichever party (if any) that individuals support they are interesting questions for at the least the two biggest parties to comment on . . .