I walk past this spot and read the council notice “What’s Happening”. My observation is “nothing.” Visitors must look at this fenced off area and wonder why, well over a year after the great cyclone, why this simple repair has not been completed.
Resource Consent for what? The footpath is an existing structure nothing new, nothing more. There is an existing rock breakwater, just needs extending, backfill, and footpath rebuilt.
Having worked in the marine industry for many years this is a very, very simple repair. I suspect there is a real anti to rock retaining walls on the coastal waterfront? Why? There are no Turtles coming ashore at night laying eggs in the dunes.
You will note that a section of the Buffalo Beach waterfront is already rock wall for protection. Works incredibly well. The existing road would have been destroyed if not for this rock wall.
So, somewhere, a resource consent document sits on somebody’s desk, waiting, waiting, waiting, for the day they turn up for work, in a good mood, and put a rubber stamp on it, Yahoo.
With councils from one end of New Zealand, cash strapped, looking at rate increases of 10, 15, 20% or more my question is how much has been spent on this simple job so far for no result.
With engineers’ plans, resource application, and numerous visits by men in white coats, I would expect tens of thousands have already been spent on red tape nonsense.
This is why it costs so much to get anything done in New Zealand. The more money burnt on PC nonsense; the less money available to actually get things done. Cost plus. Our rates will continue to increase 10% plus, year on year.
I hope I live long enough to see the footpath back in action.
