Name change smokescreen

Can anyone think of anything more foolish or insulting than the Regional Council’s considering changing its name to Environment Hawke’s Bay?

It keeps deputy chair Ric Barker’s name in the public eye. But mainly it seems designed, like John Key’s flag, to divert public and media attention from critical issues.

As Cr Barker well knows, Hawke’s Bay is facing a serious drought. The drought of 2006/7 cost the East Coast 700 million and as this one continues the economic costs will be similar.

The regional council’s answer has been to dismiss or delay attempts to find solutions. Instead, three years ago, it created the Future Farming Trust with a budget of $600,000.

The trust’s core assumption is that you can farm without water by planting lucerne, growing drought resistant grass and crops and building soil fertility. None has yet been demonstrated anywhere successfully as a long-term large-scale solution to the problems of water scarcity.

Furthermore, the regional council has for years been consenting urban development marginally above the high tide level, despite an official policy recognising that sea level will rise by at least 50cm by 2050.

Already insurance companies are looking at massive increases in premiums in vulnerable coastal areas with consequent destruction of property values. Despite this HBRC is approving housing in places like Awatoto which within a decade or two will be at or below sea level.

The problem was apparent in 2007 when I was an HBRC councillor and nothing was done.

This double whammy, one immediate and one medium term, represents the failure of HBRC to do its basic job which, as Cr Barker points out, is to protect the environment and safeguard the economic base of the province.

Concentrating on meaningless political smokescreens at the expense of real problem solving will not bring the rain, slow global warming and sea level rise. It will give the illusion of action while councillors hold meetings and put out press statements.

It is a classic case of wasting time and money on trivia.

“What did you do in the climate wars, Daddy?” children will ask.

“I changed the name of the council, son.”

That will hardly cut it.