One minute past

eleven o'clock in the evening so the 'plane has to turn around. It cannot land in Adelaide. We have a curfew at the airport. It is designed to allow the citizens who live around the airport to sleep - or so they say. Last week a plane would have landed, quite literally at one minute past eleven. It had already begun the descent into Adelaide. It was coming from Sydney - where there is a similar curfew in place. It was delayed in Sydney. The pilot was under instructions to make up time but was unable to do it. They had to turn back and go to Canberra. The passengers had to be found accommodation for the night. It was all terribly expensive - and quite possibly dangerous as the crew was at the end of shift and, no doubt, tired.
Then there is the water issue. We have water restrictions. There are a few precious hours each week for watering your garden. You may not water outside those hours. If you cannot water inside those hours and you cannot find someone else to do it for you then you may not water at all. Full stop. There is no provision at all for shift workers, those who must be away, those who always work that day of the week etc. You may not water.
People do of course and, unlike the airport issue, their neighbours largely ignore the fact because they do the same thing themselves.
What is needed is a little flexibility on the part of authority. It should not be beyond the powers of a government body to make provision for such circumstances. If there is a chance that the plane will not make it in time do not allow it to take off - or allow it to land a minute late. Do not divert the passengers at enormous expense to everyone. If someone needs to work shifts adjust the watering time for them and issue a statement. If someone needs to be away over their watering period then issue a statement allowing a different day or time.
This is the 21st century, not the first. We should be able to handle such events with ease. Instead we have bureaucracy gone mad and the little grrnomes in the system apparently enjoying the power to effect maximum disruption.
So, we come to the "request" for information in our letter box. Everyone seems to have one. Ours was mis-delivered so it did not come until yesterday when, presumably, the person in the unit with our street number realised we needed to have it. We will be fined if we do not respond by a certain date. It is about the need for more 'flexibility' with respect to services delivered.