Westland Mayor aims to meet all communities in six months
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Kumara will host new Westland mayor Helen Lash tonight, at the first of what is intended to be a round of community meetings across the far-flung district as the new council beds in.
The mayor, with councillor Riley Burden and possibly councillor Jane Neale, will speak at the Kumara Memorial Hall, during a general meeting of the Kumara Residents' Trust at 7.30pm.
By-election candidates for the Northern Ward may also attend.
Lash said they would be seeking some "big picture" expectations including a sense of each community's aspirations and "the top five needs now".
"We need to know because they all factor into our future planning. Importantly, it could ensure a wide focus across the whole district and not solely Hokitika.
"I'm fully aware that each community in Westland is different," she said.
"I would like to see everybody working together... We don't want rift in communities, we want communities working together, otherwise it's a waste of energy."
It would be an opportunity for those who might feel disenfranchised to have a voice.
Lash said she aimed to get around the whole district in her first six months to get a handle on individual communities and to galvanise a programme of action for the new council.
Ensuring transparency and accountability was something she had particularly campaigned for.
It "might'' include looking at township development funding.
"There has to be an expectation that the funding that comes from council for those communities is (spent on) what it is meant to do.
"These are things that have to be addressed but we have to look at them and say, what does the community want?
"As well as putting funding into communities, we need to ensure these matters are tidied up and make sure that they work. These are things that I need to be bought up to notice with. There is quite a bit of this stuff out there that in my mind needs addressing."
Lash acknowledged the council in the past may have enabled certain representative groups to operate with a particular focus and the aim of the meetings was not just to talk to them, but to gauge the wider community, she said.
"It's been allowed down the years. We need to look back at what those committees were originally created for and to do. That's what I'm saying -- what are the needs?"
She would like to see agreements formalised between community associations and the council, "to work with them in the future in a positive direction".
"That involves transparency and communication and better involvement."
Lash said it would particularly benefit the councillors of each ward to be keyed in with their particular constituency.
"I am going to be going around with the respective councillors. I want to touch base with them all, I want to talk to them all about their expectations of council, as in the council business and services provided to the community."
* Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
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Controversial West Coast landfill granted extension to fix issues
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A controversial West Coast private landfill under Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) watch is being given more time to fix water issues following "adverse weather".
The EPA has granted Taylorville Resource Park (TRP) an extension of a few weeks to meet the requirements of a three month abatement notice slapped on the site in March.
It came after the West Coast Regional Council asked the authority in February to take over its environmental compliance investigation of the Coal Creek landfill, 5km east of Greymouth.
The council was plagued with complaints about the landfill site throughout 2023.
These ranged from an overwhelming stench forcing neighbours to stay indoors, alleged asbestos generated dust, and water leaching from the site into a roadside drain.
After the authority took over investigations in February, it found leachate from the landfill had been allowed to spill from the site via an adjoining waterway.
Under the subsequent abatement, TRP were given three months to comply, ending June 14.
Investigations manager Jackie Adams said compliance officers have since visited the site and found TRP have made "significant progress".
However, the work required has not been completed due to "adverse weather conditions" during the abatement period, Adams said.
Because of this, the authority had yet to determine the final outcome of its investigation.
"Our officers will be returning to the site again in the coming weeks," Adams said.
"Once this inspection has been completed, we will determine if all the conditions of the notice have been met before considering any next steps."
LDR has asked the authority what type of weather factor was at play.
"We understand that there were poor weather conditions in April that affected TRP's ability to install the waterproof lining of the new storage pond," Adams said.
The authority recognised the future of the site as "an important issue for people in the region".
It continued to work with TRP to ensure compliance with the abatement, he said.
"Under the Resource Management Act, the EPA has specific enforcement functions to assist and intervene in an enforcement action of a council."
Adams said they will provide a further update when they have completed their follow-up inspection and confirmed any next step.
West Coast Regional Council Regulatory and Policy group manager Jocelyne Allen said they were keeping a watch on the site to ensure an "appropriate level of enforcement" in line with "the level of environmental effects".
Allen was asked to expand in what was meant by an appropriate level of enforcement.
She said the council was "using its discretion" while working through its enforcement strategy.
This was to ensure relevant treatment of the site from a compliance perspective, she said.
Allen said they expected an update from the EPA by mid-July.
The council had several options to consider, under the Resource Management Act, beyond the EPA's findings.
Those could include anything "from a warning right up to prosecution," Allen said.
The council also had the power to issue notices with conditions plus interim and enforcement orders.
Allen said they were constantly evaluating the best options, but the council had not yet taken action to say "it can't operate".
"We wouldn't just be able to shut the site down at this stage."
Allen said more recent consent applications from TRP may yet go to a public hearing, but council had to assess if the impacts were "more than a minor environmental effect" before making a hearing decision.
Allen said that could also be circumvented if the applicant themselves requested a public hearing.
TRP has been approached by LDR. Questions included if it anticipates meeting the extended abatement period, and if it would be happy for a public hearing.
Pressure on council to protect Hokitika from flooding
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Earthworks should begin along Hokitika's Gibson Quay next week on a delayed flood bank build.
The clock has been ticking on the Hokitika River protection project since last December when West Coast Regional Council awarded a contract but then had to wait on KiwiRail to sign the project off.
Council, in an extraordinary meeting on Thursday (July 4), approved extra costs in response to KiwiRail requirements above the original tender price.
Contractor Henry Adams was awarded the tender at the end of 2023 after last winter completing the first stage of the project, behind Westland Milk Products, and adjoining the river.
The new section runs along the railway line and Gibson Quay from Westland Milk Products down to the Hokitika Bridge.
It also adjoins the Wadeson Island and Hokitika River bank whitebaiting area.
Council chairperson Peter Haddock said the pressure is now on to finish the new flood bank within two months - with the local whitebaiting season due to start on September 1.
"It's been delayed and once again it's been a concern of council in getting through the project … I do understand that Kiwi Rail have to look after their asset," Haddock said.
In the meantime the community remained "vulnerable" to the river.
"The bulk of the works have got to be done before the whitebait season … that project will be underway immediately next week - that will be a good bit of protection works for Hokitika," Haddock said.
Dubbed '1B,' the project is the second of a suite of staged Kanoa approved flood resilience works costing several million dollars.
These will eventually improve protection to the entire Hokitika residential and business area from Kaniere to the CBD.
Haddock said KiwiRail had sought adjustment to the original contract scope.
"It had been let to Henry Adams Contracting subject to approval from KiwiRail, which has taken over nine months - because it was let before Christmas," Haddock said.
"They've finally come back and there's more work to do to protect their network."
The extraordinary meeting was required to tick off the cost of "more earthworks" and drainage in response to KiwiRail.
"There was a significant cost but it was below the budget that was allowed for the project," Haddock said.
This amounted to about $200,000 below their original budget contingencies.
"The contract is still under budget."
Haddock said the adjusted costs "were still competitive" and the council was satisfied with a staff recommendation on that basis.
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