s e v e n i s a j o u r n e y

So, I know you all have been aching with curiosity for what is happening on the Civil Defense front.

Well, maybe not aching, but I will tell you anyway.

We lost. We had a public meeting last saturday. It was well attended (65 people). About 40% of the people spoke against the council and their plan, another 40% were neutral or spoke about unrelated topics (public meeting brings people out with their own agendas), and 20% spoke in favour of the council. The managers from council were caught out in lies a few times (to the derisive laughter of the audience), and after the fact we found evidence of more lies. But the structure of the meeting, which gave them nearly a half hour to put forward their uncontested case, let them dominate the whole discussion. We will have another meeting in 2 weeks.

But that is irrelevant. A new structure is coming into place. The Marketing-manager will be hired by then. The opportunity to affect the process is over. They will fulfill their statutory requirements under the CD/EM act of 2002 to have a system and staff. The act does not require good management, or that the new system be as good or better than the old. It just requires a system.

On the up side I have gotten to meet a number of local MPs face to face, one of whom may come and visit the farm after she heard we raised alpacas! :)

So now we just hope that there is no disaster in the next 5 to 10 years. Well, I really hope there is no disaster no matter what, but in 5 to 10 years we should have a management turnover that allows a new, hopefully competent, review of the CD system.