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From: Rich80105 <Rich80105@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: nz.general
Subject: A Call for a return of the Ministry of Works?
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2022 13:49:44 +1200
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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 . . .