Ferrymead-Brookhaven TC3 Community Meeting 7th Nov 2011

Hey guys, (I kept this post in my Drafts till I settled a little after Mondays meeting) Went to my first Community meeting tonight, and what a turn out! Brookhaven-Ferrymead Residents Association
put this together, and it was obvious it was way overdue and was did not even release a little of my curiosity as to what I would hear.

I was going to take a book to write down things from the meeting but didn't so only had the back of an AMI envelope to scribble bits and pieces down, how appropriate.

I wont go into details now as Ruth Dyson has it online and a couple of others, so have cut out a lot that I had written after the meeting.

The turn out was unexpected, as so many chairs had been allocated inside the church, but this was expanded to double the size and there were still a lot of people having to stand. It was held at the Samoan Church in Vili Place,Woolston. My old work mate Stew came with me, and I know he was sitting there thinking 'Oh no hope she doesnt speak or yell out', and yes it was very very hard not to yell at many of the comments of the speakers.

From the moment the people representing CERA spoke I had a heck of a headache. Think it was the frustration at what they were telling us, which was, nothing new, just like the letters or should I say one or two informative updates in the letterbox, that only inform you what you already know. At one stage it was being read 'word by word' from the information already released by CERA. I know cause I read it. Just a sentence regarding something we didn't already know is all I wanted to hear, but that never came.

All in all it was pretty civil, but speaking form the anger I felt building up listening to the speaker/s, it is not going to take much for someone who has had enough to go over the edge. I know we can't condemn the speakers for their words, and in a way its a shame as they are only telling us what they are allowed to and only wehat they are told to tell us. When it came to question time I so wanted to get up, but I couldnt as too much frustration and too many questions to ask that seem to have so many different answers depending on which department you ask, I wouldn't stop, you would have to rip the microphone away from me. Holding myself back just made the headache worse.

Apparently tomorrow an information pack is being sent out tomorrow on the upcoming public meetings, first scheduled for 14th November. Im guessing that the rest of the info in the pack will be the documents we have already read online and are aware of.

A lady asked whether the geotech reports should have been completed more thoroughly before making their decisions, but the answer was, No as people would have been kept waiting longer. I don't think it would have made much difference to some of us.

CERA speaker kept saying that BLUE means we can continue on with life now, but that was disputed. A few yelled about how insurance their company won't help them at the moment due to being BLUE. I know from my eyes it means the big 'BLUE TC3' over our heads and that will show on our LIM. As some stated who wants to buy a house in the BLUE.

Questions were asked about timeframes, this was 'I don't know', also about health issues with the silt, concerns over their children being exposed to this, and the throughness of the land damage  investigations.

One lady invited the CERA speaker to go live with them for a month and see how they handled it.

Ruth Dyson got up to speak and she enlightened the night, and I felt my headache subside just slightly. Her comment, 'Will some in the BLUE go RED after the individual land damage assessments of each house?' was something we were interested in. Ruth said that as far as she was aware the BLUE should be the final zoning, but this could not be confirmed. She is going to a meeting this week where this is one of the questions she wants some sort of answer to.

Another comment Ruth made, that there are so many that now have to have Geotech reports done on their land, that it is impossible to get us all done even within the next so many years, it is impossible, and how are people meant to know whether the property owners banding together request from CERA is to be done, who will let us know, who will lead each of these groups, what is to be done etc etc. This was interesting as these are the questions I mentioned when I started this particular blog further down the page.

A couple times I couldn't resist yelling a comment here and there, but that got me talking to an older couple from Brookhaven when the meeting was over. After one of the big earthquakes he had been on the other side of town when it hit, and spent the next 2-3 hours trying to get home to his wife who was by herself. They had each other and they were reaching out for some sort of hope. I wish I could have spent more time with them to share what I know.

Ruth finished off her speech offering people her ear for people individual personal matters, and if she could help the situation she would do what she could. I liked her, and I'm not a fan of any MP's (Bob Parker is exempt,he has been great). I have been reading Ruth's updates a few times a week over the last few months, but have never read her comments thoroughly, as I was looking for anything on Ferrymead or Brookhaven, but from now on I will read her comments more thoroughly now.

Everyone has so many issues they are dealing with, and will continue to do so for years to come, they all have their own stories, get different answers from the authorities, there are no consistencies in their lives, but they cannot tell their side as there are far too many others in similar situations. To be able to share my daily challenges on my blog is my outlet, keeping in mind, these are not complaints, only what I experience. If there were only a hundred of us in this position, I am sure we would have been looked after and others would have been eager to hear us, share our experiences and want to listen.

Thanks to the Ferrymead-Brookhaven Residents Association for setting this up,  up until I received the first letter in my letterbox from them about the neighbourhood support etc that was in our hood I felt alone in my endeavour to a certain point, and it gave me more energy to keep my head up. Think I talked Davids (Chairman of Assoc) ear off on the phone when I rang to thank him for dropping one into my letterbox.

Right going to finish this off now and continue on the next post moving ahead - My house is in a disgusting way see new post shortly