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Vol. 81/No. 23 June 12, 2017
New Zealand flood disaster is result of capitalist rule
BY FELICITY COGGAN
EDGECUMBE, New Zealand — “The floodwaters are gone but not their
effects,” Marcus Matchitt told the Militant May 13, describing the
social disaster unfolding in this small town after a massive flood in
April. The Rangitaiki River burst through a floodwall after rain from
cyclone Debbie hit the region, inundating most of the town.
A wall of water pushed houses off their foundations, washed away cars,
trapped pets, and flooded the supermarket, doctor’s clinic and shopping
mall.
Government officials told the 1,600 residents to leave. Many went on
foot, with minutes to spare, taking only the clothes they were wearing.
While the local governing council organized a few buses, official advice
was to “self-evacuate.”
Water continued to flow into the town until 11 p.m. the following night
before the breach was sealed. Houses remained flooded for days.
Sixteen houses are beyond repair and will be demolished while some 250
are so damaged they need to be stripped down to the frame before being
rebuilt.
Much of the surrounding farmland was flooded. Over 3,500 dairy cows had
to be moved, animal feed was destroyed and milk dumped. The local
Fonterra dairy factory, a large employer in the town, was closed for
several days.
Edgecumbe residents had been warning of such a disaster for decades. The
town is built on the flood plain of the river, much of which is below
sea level. In 1987 a large earthquake sank part of the town further so
that when the river floods it runs above the level of the town. Earth
stopbanks (levees) follow the river for much of its course but for 50
yards alongside the town’s center they drop down and a six-inch thick
concrete wall — now gone — was all that held the river back.
At a public meeting on April 8 Tony Bonne, mayor of the nearby town of
Whakatane, said that the rain was the problem and “I can’t guarantee to
protect people from massive weather bombs.”
“The council noted the skinny little concrete wall had cracks in it in
2004,” Raewyn Tulloch said from the floor. “Obviously they’ve done
nothing about it. Many lives are going to be devastated.”
Graeme Bourk, a plumber and member of the local elected community board,
and his wife Gayle, a retired pharmacy assistant, were among a group of
displaced residents Communist League members met at a church hall here.
People were angry that the floodwall was not upgraded after the 2004
floods as the regional council promised, and that Trustpower bosses, who
run a dam upriver from the town, allowed river flow to rise nearly
sixfold for 24 hours before the flood. Trustpower should have spilled
the dam well before the storm so it could contain the rainfall, they said.
Trustpower is a privately owned for-profit energy and internet company,
using the dam to generate electricity.
After the disaster company and government spokespeople claimed they
didn’t do anything wrong. “Tough decisions were made and our data shows
that these have paid off,” Bay of Plenty Regional Council Flood Manager
Peter Blackwood said.
This is “exactly what happened in 2004: poor information, poor flood
management protocols between the regional council and Trustpower.
Result: disaster,” Colin Holmes, former mayor of Whakatane, told the press.
“They should wake up and stop listening to the rich and listen to the
poor,” said Rosemary Lowe.
Many who have lost all their possessions do not have insurance or are
underinsured, residents told us. Mountains of ruined furniture,
appliances and clothing had to be removed and dumped. “I felt like my
whole private life was on the road,” Gayle Bourk said.
Numerous acts of working class solidarity have marked the aftermath of
the flood — from locals cruising the town in boats rescuing people and
pets to those putting up relatives and friends to donations of skilled
labor, money and goods. “We just had a truckload of tissues, toilet
paper and nappies come in this morning,” said Gayle Bourk.
A key role has been played by several local marae (Maori community
centers) that immediately began organizing accommodation and food for
displaced residents and volunteers.
The government has announced an inquiry into the breaching of the
floodwall.
Graeme Bourk told us that residents have begun organizing their own
meetings to discuss people’s questions and plan what to do. They are
considering a class action lawsuit against the regional council and
Trustpower over the floods.
“We’re not finished yet — we’re fighters,” he said.
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