Some councillors played politics with people's misery.
Various groups and individuals claimed they had always known this would happen.
Anything related to water storage, farming, or land use in general got labelled "bad."
Chlorine was firstly hailed a saviour, then a scourge.
These responses made me think about the concept of collective responsibility, something that is always an option in a time of crisis. I was reminded of a light-bulb moment in my role as principal of Napier Girls' High School.
The leader of our local civil defence team asked to talk to the students about being prepared for natural disasters and the role of civil defence in such events.
I was delighted, and sat back expecting to hear reassuring news about how our school would be helped in the advent of a major earthquake or similar occurrence.
I was soon jolted out of that mindset, however, when the speaker emphasised that a major disaster could mean that we were on our own, we might not be able to expect help from others for at least three days, and we needed to ensure that we knew how to make stretchers, rescue people from rubble, and transport them to help.
I don't know why this was such a shock to me. I liken it to that feeling being expressed often in the regions, that someone else is going to "rescue" us from a disaster.
I walked out of that assembly deflated, and assumed my students would feel the same.
Not so. "What did you think of that?" I asked a group of eager 15-years-olds. "So cool!" one of them said.
"We're going to learn how to make stretchers and rescue people!" And they did. Thank goodness they have never had to put those skills into action. But they were prepared. And best of all, they stepped up collectively to learn how to rescue themselves.
Across Hawke's Bay we had the opportunity to respond like these young people to the water threat. I would love to think, for instance, that for all the people who rang Mayor Lawrence Yule to complain, there were twice as many who rang him to ask what they could do to help.
The Hastings District Council has welcomed a government inquiry into the handling of the situation.
I think that shows restraint given that central government is often at pains to tell local authorities to manage their own affairs within their own resources.
The temptation for government politicians here is the need to satiate the public desire to find someone to blame. We're great at blaming in New Zealand - we're not so great at stepping up collectively when we need to.
I understand completely that local government is responsible for a clean water supply. I understand the need for accountability and to ensure that whatever happened that resulted in contaminated water and debilitating illness in our community is found and remedied.
What I don't understand is why any of that absolves us from showing collective responsibility during a community crisis.
There's time enough for people to be hauled over the coals of the various inquiries that have been announced. Let's try being human, at least for a few weeks, and look to be part of the solution.
Thank you to those who have - you strengthen my faith in our communities, and in our ability to learn and grow as a region.
- Claire Hague is a former principal of Napier Girls' High School and deputy CEO of EIT. She provides mentoring and advisory services to the education sector and is standing for Napier City Council in the local body elections.
- Views expressed here are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz
