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Post by phil82 on Nov 23, 2006 8:47:17 GMT 12
Not about airyplanes, at least not directly, but is Auckland the most dysfunctional city in the country, the whole world, and possibly the universe? If there were Oscars for dysfunctionalism, Auckland would win all of them.
All those Auckland City and regional Councillors rattling their mayoral chains have known about the Rugby World Cup requirements for ELEVEN MONTHS, yet they still can't agree on anything. Whenuapai is the same. They simply can't decide what they wamt. If all of those councillors were locked in a room together and told they wouldn't be allowed out until a consensus was reached, they would all kill each other first.
I can see the reality of Auckland losing out, not only on the V8s [to Hamilton], but on the World Cup final.
I have a solution however, and it's simplicity itself. We in the real world down here south of the Bombay Hills, and especially in Wellington, should invite all our Auckland mates to abandon ship, then cut Auckland loose just as one of those icebergs sails past The latte crowd would then be completely lost to the world. With any luck they could end up in Australia!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 23, 2006 9:34:44 GMT 12
I think you make a good point about the six different councils and their internal factions having no concensus on anything destined to better greater Auckland. I doubt there's any way of improving it though, as after all they're all politicians so born to be idiots.
Hamilton has indeed gained from Auckland's dithering on the V-8's, and yes I wouldn't be surprised to see the World Cup final go elsewhere.
As to 11 months already, surely there must have been some thought and stategies put in place long before that, when we LOST the World Cup hosting rights due to poor stadiums last time. In the very plan to try to win the 2001 rights surely then they must have started thinking about where and how to hold the damned thing.
Personally I can't see why the final isn't held in Wellington's cake tin as it's already NZ's premier stadium.
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 23, 2006 11:08:51 GMT 12
Well, at least they can't try and shift the blame onto Australia if they lose the rights to this World Cup too! Anyway, enough of this Auckland bashing guys: one people, one love! (My God, I've just stood up for Auckland - I can't believe I did that! )
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 23, 2006 11:13:13 GMT 12
Yes - yes - yes . . . . as an Auckland City Council ratepayer I've already voted in the Herald poll for the Christchurch Cup Final option. If you owned a house, and wanted a really good big party, would it be sensible to raise $50,000 on a mortgage on the house and spend it all on a party weekend? You'd wake up on Monday morning with nothing left but a hangover, and then be left with years to spend paying off the loan with nothing to show for it. Try running that idea past any budget advisor.
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Post by phil82 on Nov 23, 2006 11:46:48 GMT 12
I'm not bashing Auckland, just it's proliferation of dead-beat local bodies.
{I wonder if we attached a rope from Auckland to one of those icebergs................]
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Post by phil82 on Nov 23, 2006 12:53:31 GMT 12
Alright........if we can't hook up Auckland to an iceberg could I not at least drop the councillors off on one.....wearing shorts....?
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 23, 2006 14:01:08 GMT 12
I thought the whole local council restructuring thing that NZ went through in the 1990s was supposed to solve this kind of problem? Colin, forget the iceberg - just drop the councillors off into the sea. ;D
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Post by hairy on Nov 23, 2006 15:49:45 GMT 12
Slightly off topic, but does anyone else think that the proposed stadium looks like a BEDPAN, you know the old fasioned enamelled type. ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 23, 2006 18:06:23 GMT 12
I was certainly not Auckland bashing. I was responding to Colin's points on problems with the councils in that city. Talking about the councillors is not bashing the whole of Auckland, even if they are their elected representatives.
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 23, 2006 19:29:19 GMT 12
I was joking.
Hey, I dislike Auckland just like anyone else not from Auckland should! ;D
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Post by hairy on Nov 24, 2006 7:40:50 GMT 12
We Aucklanders know that there is stuff south of the Bombays and quite often intrepid souls venture forth to see what is all about. The problem is, they set off down state highway one with high hopes and a load of food parcels and presents to distribute in the third world waste lands..........................THEN they get to Hamilton and get soo depressed they lose all will to continue and turn 'round and make a bee-line back to Ponsonby for a reviving latte' and perhaps a chardonay and relay the details of their harrowing adventures in the land of the Trevors and Charlenes. ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 24, 2006 9:27:58 GMT 12
Hairy, you're so right there. I feel the same way every tie I head north and hit Hamilton.
You really have to be tougher though, you Aucklanders, and brave it. Once you're past Hamilton you hit Cambridge and all is well again. Below that there's only a few areas as bad as Hamilton (such as the entire Manawatu, and King Country) but once you cross the strait, all is wonderful.
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Post by phil82 on Nov 24, 2006 10:05:46 GMT 12
You've forgotten the Customs Barrier at Taupo for Aucklanders heading south.They generally let them through after giving warnings that Wellington has more sunshine hours than Auckland, more theatres, and the best rugby stadium in the country, and that they should be aware that reverse culture-shock is very real, but they will eventually get over the fact that Auckland is not the centre of the known universe!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 24, 2006 10:30:08 GMT 12
"Auckland is not the centre of the known universe!"
Yes but by then they will have passed through that already, as i said, just south of Hamilton.
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Post by phil82 on Nov 24, 2006 12:47:53 GMT 12
Not entirely unexpected, but the ARC has decided it runs Auckland and not the ACC!
"Auckland's Regional Council has rejected the Government's preferred option of a waterfront stadium for the 2011 Rugby World Cup".
Good bye RWC at Auckland
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 24, 2006 12:56:21 GMT 12
So much red tape and bureaucracy. Local councils, committees, and finally, parliament, the throne of bureaucracy itself.
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Post by hairy on Nov 24, 2006 13:12:26 GMT 12
Hairy, you're so right there. I feel the same way every tie I head north and hit Hamilton. You really have to be tougher though, you Aucklanders, and brave it. Once you're past Hamilton you hit Cambridge and all is well again. Below that there's only a few areas as bad as Hamilton (such as the entire Manawatu, and King Country) but once you cross the strait, all is wonderful. You don't have to be brave, just take 1B from Taupiri, just avert your gaze whilst travelling through the carbuncle known as Huntly(sorry I just really don't like the place).
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Post by steve on Nov 24, 2006 14:49:22 GMT 12
I support the ARCs position for Eden Park however at the same time i would scrap all regional councils in the country...(to many cooks in the kitchen) The ARC was the old Auckland Regional Authority that was created by special Act of Parliament to run the sewage ponds and bus serices in the 60s then the concept spread in the ?80s to other parts of the country under the banner of the enviroment...just nonsense...for a small country...Lets just go back to district and city councils and reduce the the population for city status outside urban areas from the present 50,000 back to 20,000 that it use to be.
Heading south I get depressed as soon as i hit huntly howver hamilton of recent years has transformed...and yes i will have to admit Cambridge is a lovely town with real character! One of you Cambridge guys should get yourselves elected on to the local council!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 24, 2006 15:31:50 GMT 12
You're so right about State Highway 1B, we always travel that way to avoid Hamilton, Huntly and Ngaruawahia. It's simply quicker, easier and a nicer drive through the countryside from Cambridge to Auckland. A stop at Mercer is often the go too, though the shop that used to have the world's bestest curries changed hands and their good curries went west, but the Pokeno Bacon shop's still worth the stop before the motorway.
Thanks for the compliment for Cambridge Steve. As someone born and bred, 4th generation in the town I'm proud of the place. I recently got elected Secretary to the Cambridge Historical Society, and I may be soon invlved in other local bodies too, but I don't think Council will be my style. Not unless they get rid of Te Awamutu from our couincil's zone...
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Post by Bruce on Nov 24, 2006 20:29:36 GMT 12
Yup, Cambridge rocks! - Dont ask me to stand for council though, I'm way too busy doing real work, such as building aeroplanes and looking after an SAA chapter. Cambridge doesnt do too badly, but it still rubs a bit that the town is administered from Te Awamutu, a smaller town with ideas above its station... I wouldnt be harsh on "everywhere North of the Bombays" as northland, my ancestrial homeland, is great (but hugely under resourced) with genuine friendly human beings. Its just that bit between the Bombays and Warkworth that seems to create some problems. Dont get me wrong, Im not anti Auckland, it just appears to have brought a lot of problems on itself with its own "importance". As an example, in order to provide infrastructure to the wildly uncontrolled growth of Auckland, Transpower wanted to build monstorous 70 metre power pylons straight through the most beautiful part of the Waikato heartland (but putting the lines underground through South Auckland!) and seem surprised when the waikato population turned against them. After losing face on that they have thrown the toys out of the cot and pulled thier sponsorship of the Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival and sponsored an Auckland event instead. During the whole saga, no-one has actually had the guts to ask whether further urban growth in auckland is actually a good thing? what about encouraging the growth of industry and development in the provinces instead, where it is really needed and the infrastructure is less stressed? End of Rant, maybe I should stand for council after all......
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