When my friend first told me about the term “NIMBY,” I thought it sounded like an Indigenous Australian name. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I noticed more beggars on the streets of my hometown. My friend explained that NIMBY stands for “Not In My Backyard.” I understood it as a way for the rich to separate themselves from the less fortunate.
During COVID-19, our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and social service organizations in Rotorua made a plan. They decided to send homeless people and those needing emergency accommodation to motels in our city. With no tourists, our motels were empty, so they housed these families, homeless people, gang members, and beggars.
Soon, residents of Rotorua realized that many of these families were not from our city. They were sent here by government agencies from other parts of New Zealand. Now, our city faces the “motel dilemma.”
The national government and local council have decided to build low-income homes in neighborhoods without giving residents a say. There has been little thought about the infrastructure in these areas—sewerage, roads, electricity, and crime. Meanwhile, in neighborhoods with higher property values, residents have successfully told the government not to build these homes there. They don’t want low-income families in their backyards. This is the essence of NIMBY.
The same issue repeats as the government plans to build these homes. Rotorua, once a popular tourist city, is now becoming a place to house low-income families from all over the country. Our city might soon be known as the cesspool of New Zealand instead of a tourist destination. Our streets could be filled with beggars, gangs might take over, and youths could cause trouble.
NIMBY is a term that reflects how people often don’t want to face the problems of others. It’s a way to push the less fortunate out of sight. But in doing so, we create bigger issues for everyone. It’s important to think about how we can help those in need without just moving them to another place.
