Ryan Bridge: It's not the mistakes that kills trust, it's the accountability dodgers

There's an air of arrogance and butt-covering to the stench that is Moa point.

In a nutshell, the council, its water management company and the contractor were all a bit shit at their jobs.

And Wellington's South Coast has been shat on.

14 billion litres of raw sewage, to be precise.

None of them took charge of and ownership of the water treatment plant.

And they didn't talk to each other, or listen, to some quite critical information and warnings.

Anyone getting Mount Manganui vibes here?

But the part that gets me, and should get us all, is the no show from ratepayer-funded bureaucrats ducking for cover.

Council infrastructure leaders, who clearly are leaders in job title only, did not meet with the Crown Review team to tell them about their role in this shambles.

They were asked for in-person meetings. They were asked to sit down in front of somebody and explain themselves.

And they ran. They ducked. They gave written responses.

14 billion litres of Wellington's digested breakfasts on the beach deserves more than written answers.

It's like the politicians who dodged the Covid inquiry.

Why would you do not front up in person unless you had something to hide?

Why would you not speak in person, unless you were worried about what you'd say?

Did lawyers and comms staff, at ratepayer's expense, review all those written responses before you hit send?

People don't necessarily lose trust in councils over mistakes. Mistakes happen to us all.

Coverups and accountability dodgers. They're the ones who flush our trust down the toilet.

Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.