Auckland's urban sprawl has led to urban crawl

Often the hardest part of this writing gig, for me anyway, is in choosing what to write about.

Do I go the global route, keep it on a national level or stick closer to home? Do I dare venture into politics and/or religion or just write about the things that affect me personally? Fortunately, or not as the case may be, I don't really have any restrictions when it comes to subject matter which is probably why I agonise over my choice for hours, sometimes days.

There's just so much to bitch about and so little time, so I have come up with the idea of my very own "Whine Tasting", where I get crazy drunk with the power of the pen and have multiple moans in one column.

I'm living life on the edge, people, and it's time to uncork my special vintage, "The Gripes Of Wrath". This week's whine trail begins in Auckland, City of Sails ... or should that be snails?

In case you hadn't heard, it appears that our fastest growing city has almost ground to a halt when it comes to traffic congestion. Better public transport is being touted as a solution. Seems to be a no brainer, except that Aucklanders love their cars.

Having lived there for more than 10 years myself, I am confident when I say that there is huge disconnect between what Auckland needs and what Aucklanders are prepared to do. There is no solution to be found in any public transport scheme if the residents aren't prepared to literally get on board. If all of New Zealand is to be burdened with the enormous debt to remedy the situation then local and national governments need to give the people what they want not what they need. The urban sprawl has led to urban crawl. It hasn't led them to change their ways because they are not prepared to do so. Could it be any more obvious?

My next gripe is a rather sour one.

Methadone is the manufactured heroin substitute dished out daily to thousands of addicts, at the taxpayers expense, under the guise of a safe weaning process. Well ... just how long does this process take? Any respectable drug rehab facility would be talking from six weeks to six months. I know of people who have been on the programme in excess off 10 years, many of whom have also had their dosages increased. Where does the weaning come in? Where is the accountability?

It's a bloody joke. Not only are our local pharmacists dispensing this free daily fix, they are doing so in the knowledge that these users, now as high as kites, are hopping into motor vehicles and driving off.

Am I the only one that has an issue with this? Have you heard of anything so absurd? And why, out of all the addictions that plague our society, are this group of people afforded the luxury of being the only ones to get a tax payer funded "solution", if you can call it that? Somebody needs to explain this to me, to us - front up with some real figures that show just how successful this weaning has been.

It's back to Auckland for my final whine of the week - the dreaded housing issue. Statistics say that on average three people an hour are willingly moving to Auckland. It's not more housing they need, it's more mental health workers! It's a catch 22, keep building and they will keep on coming. Short of offering incentives to large scale employers to relocate, I honestly don't see any real resolution in sight. Maybe I just can't see it because the cheap sub standard shoe boxes they pass off as high rise apartments are blocking my view. Thank the Lord I moved when I did. The future of our mega city doesn't look pretty.

Once again, thanks for your feedback. I've received some really great emails. Please keep them coming, to investik8@gmail.com.

Let the angst begin as I contemplate next week's offering, until then smile loudly.