|
|
 |
MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
|
|
|
Worzels World - Getting the job doneIt’s time to turn my pen towards local events. I do so with a sigh – I am not sure if it is a sigh of satisfaction, resignation, frustration or a mix of all three.
I am looking forward to reading the long-awaited Auditor General report on the Mangawhai EcoCare project. What a name eh? In a similar time frame Lee Childs or Patricia Cornwell could have written a couple of best-sellers. Simply as a literary effort, be it fiction, non-fiction or perhaps only based on real life events, it is on my ‘must read’ list. If I had an embossed business card and branded myself a consultant I would tell you how much I estimate this report has cost but as I am not so pretentious it will remain my secret. The story of our local government has been a long and protracted saga and is unlikely to be a best-seller. Many words have been exchanged, much cost incurred and very little achieved. Meanwhile, during that time in little old Maungaturoto, pavement has been lifted, weeds devastated, concrete poured. The functional, like stairs, wheel chair ramps and hand rails, have been created as well as the interesting, which is not so easily described. A plethora of flora has been planted, taken root and begun to grow. There is even a pool with goldfish in it. Ancient Greece had nothing on Maungi. And, of course, we now have a wharf where once no wharf was. I have seen wharves, piers, jetties and quays with straighter rails than Maungi's one. A situation for which I must share some blame. We were pushed for time and didn’t think twice before we screwed it on. But then if everyone always thought twice before they screwed, a lot of things would be different. The Maungi wharf no doubt lacks the ornate Victorian elegance of Brighton Pier and is unlikely to rival the industrialised functionality of the New York docks, yet it is as good a landing as any to stand at the end of and look out from. I foresee a bright future, of fishing lines and beer with much jumping off at full tide. Who knows, people may even tie boats to it. Opinion has been divided on all these things. It could never be otherwise in Maungaturoto. I too was cynical regarding something branded as a ‘beautification project’, believing as I do that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But if others wanted to do something constructive who was I to discourage them? And constructive they have been. The whole kit and caboodle was accomplished by members of the community. There were no Commissioners to manage it, the CEO was unpaid. Consultants were numerous and often passionate. They proffered no bill for their precious time but occasionally sent over a box of beer in lieu. The workers were many and various. They were not always OSH compliant but no one was killed or maimed. Because I did not receive a letter from the bank noting with concern that I had not pushed any wheel barrows full of concrete, I was happy to push a few. Highly paid spin doctors did not infer that I was letting the side down – that the building of the wharf would be deferred if I did not go and screw some planks on it. Nor did they threaten me with a penalty of ten percent more planks to screw if I did not. Consequently I was more than happy to screw on a few planks. No rates were levied on the townspeople, no outrageous offshore loans were raised in secret or otherwise. Apart from rabid groups of feral school children who extorted money for raffles there was no burden actual or financial forced upon any participant. There were costs of course, the ‘consents’ required to build the wharf, as well as causing much delay were a major one. The focus was never on money and although I was, and remain, uncertain what the job actually was, it was about getting it done. I can’t help thinking it a shame that the Commissioners were busy, getting the district back on a ‘sound financial footing’, that local body staff were busy processing paperwork and the Auditor General busy over her report – otherwise they could have come to Maungi and bought a raffle ticket or two with their generous publicly-funded salaries. If they’d stayed around long enough they could have poured some concrete or helped actually build something. And if they are half as smart as they pretend to be they might even have learned how to go about getting a job done. ■ prof_worzel@hotmail.com |
|
FOLLOW US  
|
CONTACT US
|