West Coast Council ‘orphan asset’ list to be identified
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is still grappling with how to identify 'orphan assets'.
Many of the assets refer to bridge protection work or stopbanks built by different administrations, including the former Westland Catchment Board before the regional council was formed in 1989, or historically by other authorities including the former roads boards.
The Westport floods of 2021 brought the issue to the surface, especially with the ownership of historic river training works at Organs Island on the Buller River, upstream of Westport township.
In Cobden, the seawall built along Domett Esplanade in 1969 is still a matter of contention, while record floods at Reefton last winter also highlighted the problem of 'orphan assets'.
In August, former councillor Laura Coll told the Risk and Assurance Committee meeting that clarifying the ownership and assessing the state of the protection banks on the true right bank of the Inangahua River at Reefton was urgent after flooding last year.
Significant flooding at Reefton about 40 years ago had prompted the existing protection work but there was a local assumption the council was responsible for maintaining the stopbanks, despite there being no local rating district.
Coll-McLaughlin urged the council to begin to identify all the 'orphan assets' around the region, as it risked credibility issues if it had no plan or had not taken any steps to clarify ownership.
Acting corporate services manager Marc Ferguson told the Risk and Assurance Committee this week there was as yet uncertainty about the status of a list of those assets.
It had apparently been compiled internally by a former staff member, who left the council in November.
Committee chairperson Cr Frank Dooley said it was a "black hole" as was seen with Organ's Island.
"It's up to us as the responsible organisation within our region for flood protection to get it sorted," he said.
The question was, had the list been prepared?
Cr Brett Cummings suggested it might be up to councillors themselves to use their historic knowledge to come up with a list. The ownership of some
assets had been disputed, which was the reason he brought it up, with numerous examples in the region.
For example, near the Punakaiki River mouth a rockwall protecting State Highway 6 had been built in the past, and it had been having a knock-on erosion effect on the nearby shoreline, but the NZ Transport Agency "don't want anything to do with it".
Cummings said there were probably a lot of people who assumed some assets were the regional council's where in fact they were not.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
Poll: Is it rude to talk on the phone on a bus?
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Paddy Gower seeks ‘bloody great Cantab’
The Kiwi journalist drilling deep into the country’s biggest issues is on a mission to find the local greats.
Paddy Gower is looking for the Good Kiwi in every region to feature in his show, The F@#$ing News - Paddy Gower Live on Tour.
To nominate a Good Kiwi, email reporters@press.co.nz with the name and a description of why your nominee should win. You an also share the local issues you think Paddy needs to tackle in the comments below.
It could be the woman whose knitting circle has made 3800 items for victims of domestic violence, the guy running the length of Aotearoa for mental health, or the woman with terminal cancer who spends her time campaigning to raise awareness and save lives.
“Basically I am looking for ... a bloody great Cantab who just gets on and gets things done. The criteria is somebody who has a positive attitude and makes the community a better place," Gower said.
“I will give this person the 'Big Ups' they deserve, and the community can celebrate them with me.”
A Good Kiwi will feature in each of Gower’s live shows in 14 centres through November and December. He will name the Cantabrian Good Kiwi at his Christchurch show on the evening of Friday, November 22, at St Margaret’s College.
The F@#$ing News - Paddy Gower Live on Tour is a sort of book tour, sort of stand-up comedy, some journalistic yarns and memoir, and some motivational speaking - with a fair bit of local in each show.
Gower also wants to know about topics of interest in the region.
“I’m ... going to be taking on a big issue facing Canterbury and offering up solutions.”
A stinky suburb, a neighbourhood needing a round-about or a cathedral in disrepair - “I will make your views count”, he said.
“I'm touring the nation to spread positivity, optimism and good vibes.”
*For tickets to the The F@#$ing News - Paddy Gower Live on Tour visit paddygower.co.nz
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