The Government hasn’t actually said those words out loud just yet. What they have said is that there is a strong case for a Government inquiry.
But you can read between the lines here - they’re preparing us, and probably most importantly preparing the Tauranga City Council, for the fact that they, the Government, are going to run this inquiry.
And they should be the ones running it. The council can’t investigate its own actions like it’s planning to do. No one is going to believe the council if it concludes the council has done nothing wrong - if you follow what I’m saying.
And there are plenty of reasons to think the council may actually have done quite a lot wrong here.
From the 111 call they claimed wasn’t forwarded to them - until they realised, whoopsie, yes it was - through to reports that council staff were at the campground before the slip but didn’t evacuate everyone, to the possibility that they were involved in clearing trees above the slip site.
Now that, by the way - the trees issue - is potentially quite significant. It looks very much, if you compare the photos, like trees, probably pōhutukawa, were cleared from the site above the slip sometime between 2017 and 2019, probably to stop myrtle rust.
If this is what happened - if the council stuffed up by removing trees and not replacing them, when everyone knows that plants stabilise the ground, and if the council was warned about slips in the hours before they happened and ignored those warnings, then they should carry the can for that.
I have seen - and I don’t know if you’ve been seeing this too - but I have seen too many councils, lately, get away with dropping the ball.
Auckland Council having drinks while the city was flooding three years ago. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council being begged to open the bar to prevent Wairoa from flooding, not opening the bar, and - guess what - Wairoa flooded.
If no one is ever blamed for the things they do wrong before an event, then nothing changes.
So the Government’s on the right track here. They need to take over this inquiry.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show. This article was sourced from Newstalk ZB.
6 comments:
The answer to your headline Question is obviously yes!
Beyond the clear conflict of interest given their ownership of the camping ground, there are no possible grounds that justify leaving this Inquiry in the less than capable hands of the Tauranga City Council.
Steve Ellis
ABSOLUTELY, Heather. You have summed it up very well.
There many major and alarming questions over the council's role in this disaster.
It's not just "trolls" like the Minister claimed. The NZ Herald has had some very clear descriptions of the events.
I would rate the chances of a govt enquiry attributing any blame to the maori tree removal incident as nil, and, at least with the present mayor, the likelihood of a Council enquiry as less.The Maunga Authority on Mt Albert in Auckland had the great good fortune of a landslip before they had succeeded in tweaking the evil colonists by removing (at Council expense) a spectacular stand of exotic trees
An inquiry that reveals the TRUTH would be ideal.
So, not sure about the "government" if we base it on that criterion.
And definitely NOT if there is a change in government.
I am wondering if co-ownership comes with co-responsibilities for when things go wrong…
I am not holding my breath, I know who will be paying for this ultimately (tax/rate payers)
Inevitably Local IWI & Tauranga City Council will be sued for negligence. For the families concerned it is hoped the defendants have adequate Liability insurance.
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