Heaviest-ever day's rainfall set to be Aotearoa's most-expensive climate event; Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown exposed; New PM Chris Hipkins gets crisis test 10 days into the job
I have just sent an online message of encouragement to Watercare about the Central-Interceptor project. This is one thing we can do. I got off lightly with just a flooded back yard and shed. Next time maybe not so lucky. And there will be a next time.
As we transition without brave politicians, things like fossil fuels and meat will get both more expensive for Joe-public and more profitable for their producers.
Successive years of records profits will position the likes of oil companies, their investors, and their dutiful paid-for politicians, to comfortably surf the hellscape climate change is causing. And they will re-emerge as 'energy' companies without the slightest scars on them.
Eventually nature will force us to adapt our living environment to be more in harmony with it instead of the concrete and asphalt jungle we have now. The question remains how painful our way to acceptance will be.
I feel for Auckland who will most likely now face the same nightmare Christchurch faced with insurance. I hope lessons learned will be implemented but I have my doubts.
But will the powers that be actually do the right thing?
For instance when I visited Singapore years ago they had huge concrete lined open drains that took all their heavy rain and dumped it straight into the sea. Even tiny Easter Island used a similar method.
Others suggest we need less concrete and we should let the soil hold some of the rain. But I see a possibly fatal result if we go that way: - more rain onto already sodden soil will invariably lead to land slips. Whether the house is at the top of the slip or the bottom the result may not differ casualty wise.
Three things: - bigger sewerage systems that don't overload after mild rain and dump our poos into the sea; wastewater drains that similarly don't overflow and backup; and less asphalt collecting water that goes straight into the drains.
We're in Auckland and next door they now have 13 houses where there was one before. The maximum footprint of the houses is 40%, leaving the balance to be "permeable". It may be so, but it is mainly driveways, and ALL the water goes straight into the drains or the street. It's all Council approved.
It's all council approved. I have some sympathy for councils as they are basically stuck in the middle. Here in ChCh a developer wanted to develop an area into residential. Council said no; developer threatened to take them to court. Council caved and gave approval.
Come the 2011 earthquakes and guess what area was hit worst. The developer had long gone with his profits.
Imagine if instead we build apartments and the driveway area would be green space, trees & other flood mitigation.
It's all council approved. Even the house Wayne Brown thinks shouldn't have been there in the first place. Will he instruct council to stop future developments like that & take climate change into account? I very much doubt it him being a climate change denier.
There are different options to mitigation. Unfortunately all of them cost money & take a long time to build. And we know how enthusiastic both main parties are about investing in such expensive infrastructure.
It's a two plus scenario. New subdivisions where things can be done right; e.g. sponge areas. Then there are the existing areas where sponging isn't going to work or work well.
Just had a thought. Are the character NIMBYs going to point out the new 3x3 development rules may be dangerous especially on hillsides? Without serious mitigation expenditure by the council.
There is an irony here that underscores the problems in our measurement of economic well being, which is that this event will be ‘good’ for the economy, or at least the GDP side of it. It will also be inflationary, and it will be interesting to see how the RBNZ reacts to it given the unhappiness amongst the electorate to one shock after another.
Yes, that's completely bonkers isn't it, a massive flood is excellent for growth. Let's keep repeating "growth is good", while people sweep the actual shit out of their homes. Whole economic system overhaul required pronto!
Great question for me to ask Robertson and Orr once I get the chance. Are the Auckland floods an inflationary supply and demand shock that justify even higher interest rates for even longer?
Building resilience through three waters and using our country’s balance sheet to prepare us for an increasingly dire climactic future is now no longer a political nice to have. It’s an absolute fir survival.
Refusing to do something significant is wilfully imposing disaster on our future all for the benefit if a couple of entitled old men.
Students, parents, teacher, workers, grandparents and aunts and uncles need to get out on the streets to demand immediate action and the removal of climate deniers from any position of influence.
Who; politicians, the entitled old men, or the list of people I mentioned. In all cases, apart from the greens, not fully I think. This is where local groups and others using Substack need to start educating. Keeping it simple and going into schools, retirement villages, churches, marae, etc and talking about the theft of our children’s future. This election needs to be around educating around the issues of climate change. Not being extreme (but it may come to that), but also not being willing to be fobbed off anymore.
Release please Bernard. Interesting that the Mayors of our two biggest cities (Auckland and Christchurch) are climate-change "deniers". Even if we stop burning fossil fuels tomorrow we have 30 years of this to come in NZ. Ford ranger drivers will still "thumb their nose at their grandchildren". Main problems in NZ are 1. Farmers and 2. Elderly Rich white men. As the Green Party says NZ has plenty to go around!
I’m also concerned about the complete lack of leadership or thinking of consequences of inaction on people of their governance failures. They all appear to be a bunch of selfish spin masters trying to promote avoidable catastrophe and death and destruction as positive signs of community resilience. Orwellian. No taking of responsibility or planning and funding....literally their job. There are so many gaps in best and safe practise with this emergency response in Auckland I can barely watch it.
Great exposure of the failure of Government to address the threats of changing climate. And if we think this Government, with the inclusion a Green climate change minister is deficient, any other Government will likely be way, way worse.
Yes, Dave, it's a bit depressing to think that this is the best that climate action is going to be for some time with current election result predictions. Will the swing voters of Auckland, currently cleaning up, pause to think how their preferred choice of Govt will prevent and manage the next big flood?
Morning Bernard I hope you get to ask some of the tough questions in the next press gathering!! However I wouldn’t be holding my breath at getting any decent replies. It really is time to get Chloe on the Kaka she was fantastic on Friday with her coms on Twitter. Haven’t heard anything from Seymour!! But then I don’t follow him on Twitter.
Great summary. Thanks.
This is very important, please make it available it to all
Ditto. Please make it available for all
Ditto please, please! make it available to all
Many thanks Alex. I’ll do that now.
That’s done now. Appreciate the prod.
Damning bullet points!
Definitely one worthy of sharing
Thanks Jason. Have done now. Feel free to share.
Similar problems have been well analysed for well over two decades.
Consider the Central Interceptor wastewater tunnel
New Zealand's largest bored wastewater tunnel will help clean up Central Auckland waterways.
https://www.watercare.co.nz/About-us/Projects-around-Auckland/Central-Interceptor
How many more overdue massive infrastructure projects are needed in Auckland to mitigate flood issues?
I have just sent an online message of encouragement to Watercare about the Central-Interceptor project. This is one thing we can do. I got off lightly with just a flooded back yard and shed. Next time maybe not so lucky. And there will be a next time.
As we transition without brave politicians, things like fossil fuels and meat will get both more expensive for Joe-public and more profitable for their producers.
Successive years of records profits will position the likes of oil companies, their investors, and their dutiful paid-for politicians, to comfortably surf the hellscape climate change is causing. And they will re-emerge as 'energy' companies without the slightest scars on them.
Eventually nature will force us to adapt our living environment to be more in harmony with it instead of the concrete and asphalt jungle we have now. The question remains how painful our way to acceptance will be.
I feel for Auckland who will most likely now face the same nightmare Christchurch faced with insurance. I hope lessons learned will be implemented but I have my doubts.
Hi Merav
But will the powers that be actually do the right thing?
For instance when I visited Singapore years ago they had huge concrete lined open drains that took all their heavy rain and dumped it straight into the sea. Even tiny Easter Island used a similar method.
Others suggest we need less concrete and we should let the soil hold some of the rain. But I see a possibly fatal result if we go that way: - more rain onto already sodden soil will invariably lead to land slips. Whether the house is at the top of the slip or the bottom the result may not differ casualty wise.
Three things: - bigger sewerage systems that don't overload after mild rain and dump our poos into the sea; wastewater drains that similarly don't overflow and backup; and less asphalt collecting water that goes straight into the drains.
We're in Auckland and next door they now have 13 houses where there was one before. The maximum footprint of the houses is 40%, leaving the balance to be "permeable". It may be so, but it is mainly driveways, and ALL the water goes straight into the drains or the street. It's all Council approved.
Hi John
It's all council approved. I have some sympathy for councils as they are basically stuck in the middle. Here in ChCh a developer wanted to develop an area into residential. Council said no; developer threatened to take them to court. Council caved and gave approval.
Come the 2011 earthquakes and guess what area was hit worst. The developer had long gone with his profits.
Imagine if instead we build apartments and the driveway area would be green space, trees & other flood mitigation.
It's all council approved. Even the house Wayne Brown thinks shouldn't have been there in the first place. Will he instruct council to stop future developments like that & take climate change into account? I very much doubt it him being a climate change denier.
Yep. One of the problems with relying on simple in-fill to grow housing, rather than doing planned developments such as Hobsonville and Stonefields.
There are different options to mitigation. Unfortunately all of them cost money & take a long time to build. And we know how enthusiastic both main parties are about investing in such expensive infrastructure.
It's a two plus scenario. New subdivisions where things can be done right; e.g. sponge areas. Then there are the existing areas where sponging isn't going to work or work well.
Just had a thought. Are the character NIMBYs going to point out the new 3x3 development rules may be dangerous especially on hillsides? Without serious mitigation expenditure by the council.
There is an irony here that underscores the problems in our measurement of economic well being, which is that this event will be ‘good’ for the economy, or at least the GDP side of it. It will also be inflationary, and it will be interesting to see how the RBNZ reacts to it given the unhappiness amongst the electorate to one shock after another.
Yes, that's completely bonkers isn't it, a massive flood is excellent for growth. Let's keep repeating "growth is good", while people sweep the actual shit out of their homes. Whole economic system overhaul required pronto!
Great question for me to ask Robertson and Orr once I get the chance. Are the Auckland floods an inflationary supply and demand shock that justify even higher interest rates for even longer?
I would also ask “and how will higher interest rates help people struggling to rebuild after a flood?”
Building resilience through three waters and using our country’s balance sheet to prepare us for an increasingly dire climactic future is now no longer a political nice to have. It’s an absolute fir survival.
Refusing to do something significant is wilfully imposing disaster on our future all for the benefit if a couple of entitled old men.
Students, parents, teacher, workers, grandparents and aunts and uncles need to get out on the streets to demand immediate action and the removal of climate deniers from any position of influence.
Enough is enough
Great point Doug. Do you sense they are, or understand the issues?
Who; politicians, the entitled old men, or the list of people I mentioned. In all cases, apart from the greens, not fully I think. This is where local groups and others using Substack need to start educating. Keeping it simple and going into schools, retirement villages, churches, marae, etc and talking about the theft of our children’s future. This election needs to be around educating around the issues of climate change. Not being extreme (but it may come to that), but also not being willing to be fobbed off anymore.
Hi Bernard, as someone else mentioned, presumably this cleanup will have an inflationary effect and I wonder if you have a feel for how significant?
Good question I’ll try to put to Adrian Orr and Grant Robertson. I’ll be there on Feb 22.
Release please Bernard. Interesting that the Mayors of our two biggest cities (Auckland and Christchurch) are climate-change "deniers". Even if we stop burning fossil fuels tomorrow we have 30 years of this to come in NZ. Ford ranger drivers will still "thumb their nose at their grandchildren". Main problems in NZ are 1. Farmers and 2. Elderly Rich white men. As the Green Party says NZ has plenty to go around!
Patrick Medlicott
Thanks Patrick. You’re welcome to share now.
Great summary - people need to have this stuff in their heads. Make it available!
Did I hear Auckland's theme song on the radio yesterday?
Dragon's 'Rain'.
The main refrain - "Don't go out in the pouring rain"
Ha! Thanks Steve.
Isn’t calling transportation measures to combat climate change a”war on cars” actually calling for a “war on lives”?
The inaction and hoarding of Govt is the upstream problem to all these downstream problems for us.
I’m also concerned about the complete lack of leadership or thinking of consequences of inaction on people of their governance failures. They all appear to be a bunch of selfish spin masters trying to promote avoidable catastrophe and death and destruction as positive signs of community resilience. Orwellian. No taking of responsibility or planning and funding....literally their job. There are so many gaps in best and safe practise with this emergency response in Auckland I can barely watch it.
Great exposure of the failure of Government to address the threats of changing climate. And if we think this Government, with the inclusion a Green climate change minister is deficient, any other Government will likely be way, way worse.
Yes, Dave, it's a bit depressing to think that this is the best that climate action is going to be for some time with current election result predictions. Will the swing voters of Auckland, currently cleaning up, pause to think how their preferred choice of Govt will prevent and manage the next big flood?
Morning Bernard I hope you get to ask some of the tough questions in the next press gathering!! However I wouldn’t be holding my breath at getting any decent replies. It really is time to get Chloe on the Kaka she was fantastic on Friday with her coms on Twitter. Haven’t heard anything from Seymour!! But then I don’t follow him on Twitter.
Open up to the general public please. Thanks
Thanks. Have done so now.