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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
When disaster hits the West Coast, people should not expect that help is on the way.
That's the plain warning from Westland Mayor Helen Lash.
She notes that "crystal ball gazing" needs to move to personal action.
"There … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
When disaster hits the West Coast, people should not expect that help is on the way.
That's the plain warning from Westland Mayor Helen Lash.
She notes that "crystal ball gazing" needs to move to personal action.
"There will be no knight in shining armour. It's not going to happen. People need to understand that. The people we're going to rely on is ourselves. Anything other than that is a bonus," Mrs Lash said Monday.
The prospect of a massive Alpine Fault rupture (AF8) is now overdue and lines of communication along the 650km long region including roads, bridges, and power will be completely severed for weeks, if not many months.
A recent presentation to Hari Hari farmers by a river engineer noted the AF8 region-wide reality would be mass collapses of river valleys and hillsides with a total transformation of the landscape.
And those living south of Hokitika and north of Westport are particularly vulnerable due to single road access and some big rivers.
West Coast Civil Defence and Emergency Management group manager Claire Brown said a big focus for West Coast CDEM is "about community development".
Ensuring people in every district had an awareness, knew what they needed to do, and had the plan and contingencies in place were the key pillars, "at the end of it, helping communities to help themselves".
"That takes a lot of time and effort, she said.
"It also begins at home, locally held preparedness in the community you live in, how organised you are, how quickly are you able to coordinate a response."
That included an individual and local plan around finding access external communications.
Brown said fairly major events had already proven the complexities for the region.
The reverberation of Cyclone Gabrielle only reinforced that vulnerability.
"We know that it doesn't take a lot for the roading or infrastructure to be compromised."
Hokitika mayor Helen Lash said her biggest concern is that local residents have yet to overcome a complacency and to take some personal responsibility.
In the event, every little contingency already in place in the various neighbourhoods would be vital for the authorities to understand the bigger picture.
Breaking through that complacency was "flipping hard," particularly when some people held to an expectation that somehow a whole lot of external aid would arrive in an event like AF8.
Lash said she was passionate about an "from the ground up" approach that actually started at home.
"At the end of the day resilience is going to be the number one factor in the ability of communities to cope. Some communities have got on board."
A very impressive example was Harhari getting organised more recently with "a great team there".
They already had the fundamentals for an emergency operations centre in their settlement, and were working on a plan for alternative accommodation in an event for example.
Tools like organising a generator or planning an independent water supply should be happening now, Lash said.
She gave the example of own neighbourhood at Tutaki just south of Hokitika, which was highly likely to be cut off in the loss of the bridge despite its proximity to the main town.
Lash said Franz Josef was another good example of self organisation given what it had experienced in the past decade.
But people in every area urgently needed "to understand" they would be relying on their own resources for some time in a big disaster.
"It's going to rely on everyone pulling their weight."
Dave Murdoch of Tauranga was nominated by Ian Smith for being quite simply, the nicest neighbour!
"Dave next door is the best - we live in an apartment block in the CBD and every day he gets up and cleans the driveway- always puts out everyone’s rubbish bins and scrubs them out every time… View moreDave Murdoch of Tauranga was nominated by Ian Smith for being quite simply, the nicest neighbour!
"Dave next door is the best - we live in an apartment block in the CBD and every day he gets up and cleans the driveway- always puts out everyone’s rubbish bins and scrubs them out every time they are emptied. He cleaned around our pool area after a storm recently as we were busy at work. He is always first to help others whenever he can whether they have an issue with their unit or a stranger having car trouble out on the street - They don’t come better!"
If you have a Nice Neighbour, don't keep it to yourself. You might win a $25 Prezzy® card each and a shoutout on Stuff. Go on, nominate them now!
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced the end of the final pandemic-related public health orders which is the mandatory seven-day isolation for people infected and mask requirement in health facilities. For some, it's a welcome change but for others this is a concerning move. How are you … View morePrime Minister Chris Hipkins announced the end of the final pandemic-related public health orders which is the mandatory seven-day isolation for people infected and mask requirement in health facilities. For some, it's a welcome change but for others this is a concerning move. How are you feeling about the changes?
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the We Say You Say column of your local paper.
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Read our blog on social connection to find out more!
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Hey Neighbours!
Is your Mobile plan one of the many Winter bills piling up? It might be time to review it so you can relax..even just a smidge?! Compare all the mobile plans and providers on Mobile Compare and find a plan that lets you stay connected without overpaying.
The leader of the National Party has announced a plan to ban cellphones from all classrooms to minimize distractions for students. The Labour party has commented that this is commonplace already and is a decision best left for individual schools. Do you think a ban should be enforced?
Tell us about gardeners doing something worth celebrating in your community, and they could be in the running for the Ryman Healthcare Gardener of the Year! The winner will receive Vegepod product worth $1000. And the most colourful character receives $1000 worth of Resene paint.
Send up to five… View moreTell us about gardeners doing something worth celebrating in your community, and they could be in the running for the Ryman Healthcare Gardener of the Year! The winner will receive Vegepod product worth $1000. And the most colourful character receives $1000 worth of Resene paint.
Send up to five high-resolution photos and explain why you wish to nominate a person or group to be the Ryman Healthcare 2023 Gardener of the Year. Email your entry to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Or post your nomination to 2023 Gardener of the Year, NZ Gardener, PO Box 6341, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142.
By Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter
Stage 1a of the Hokitika River flood protection works behind Westland Milk Products is virtually complete.
West Coast Regional Council infrastructure resilience group project manager Scott Hoare told the council on Tuesday that installation of the … View moreBy Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter
Stage 1a of the Hokitika River flood protection works behind Westland Milk Products is virtually complete.
West Coast Regional Council infrastructure resilience group project manager Scott Hoare told the council on Tuesday that installation of the rock work was "practically complete".
Work under way this week included backfilling and topping up to the right height the top of the new wall, where the West Coast Wilderness Trail passes behind the dairy factory.
The work being completed included a new riding surface for the cycle trail.
"I believe they will be in the position of being wrapped up by the end of next week," Hoare said.
Some minor matters including removing and realigning a power pole needed to be done. From there they would be looking to finalise the account for Stage 1a.
Hoare said they were also now in a position to finally sign off the cost-sharing agreement with Westland Milk Products, previously ratified by council, for the work.
Meanwhile background work to enable Stage 1b, adjoining Gibson Quay from Westland Milk Products down to the Hokitika River bridge alongside the Hokitika rail siding to the dairy factory, was getting close to the consenting and tendering stages.
Hoare said a cultural impact process for Stage 1b was due in about two weeks. They were considering if 1b could proceed as a variation of 1A for the consenting aspect.
Beyond that a draft concept was in the offing for preliminary work for stages two and three.
The total staged scheme to raise and extend the Hokitika River true right bank protection will eventually include raised stopbanks along Gibson Quay to protect the town centre, and Kaniere township.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
By Brendon McMahon
, local democracy reporter
Mounting compliance costs starting at around $10,000 and pushed onto West Coast farmers through new environmental measures, have been lamented at the West Coast Regional Council.
It comes as the formal rollout of the new freshwater farm plan … View moreBy Brendon McMahon
, local democracy reporter
Mounting compliance costs starting at around $10,000 and pushed onto West Coast farmers through new environmental measures, have been lamented at the West Coast Regional Council.
It comes as the formal rollout of the new freshwater farm plan requirements to begin in the next few weeks, which by 2025 will apply to all farming operations across the region above 20 hectares.
"If we bugger our farmer community, we may as well cut the rigging and go to Tasmania or whatever," councillor Frank Dooley said this week.
Council's acting consents and compliance manager, Rachel Clark, reporting to the Resource Management Committee, said council's intention around the farm plan rollout was to provide a standard template for the farming sector "for consistency".
However the impact on individual farmers, including the cost and complexity on top of a declining dairy payout, was worrying councillors.
Committee chairperson Brett Cummings asked if the new plans would effectively disallow what is currently regarded as permitted land use activity by farmers.
Clark said that was not the case currently.
"Ultimately the farm plans will be a form of consent but they are not currently," she said.
Councillor Andy Campbell, a Hari Hari dairy farmer, said what he could see was "the costs escalating".
He related the various requirements individual farmers were having to cover off to undertake the new farm plan regime, including different cost inputs from a variety of providers.
"Farmers are getting a bit concerned about these freshwater plans. They have to have a certifier, auditor, effluent inspection. The costs are escalating."
Campbell said the requirements needed to be "rolled into one" to make it simpler, otherwise the economics of any farm activity continuing for some was under threat.
"If you have a 20ha area of land you might be getting a bill for $10,000 ... are we going to destroy our little blocks of land or what?"
Councillor Peter Ewen said it was becoming "very onerous" for farmers on top of everything else.
"It doesn't help with the milk price. Things are getting tougher."
Cummings said much of the impact was "handed to council" by the Government.
Dooley said council had a responsibility to monitor the impact of the changes but suggested all aspects of the new regime be rolled into one process, and once a year.
"That would make it a damn sight easier for the farmers. I think that is a recommendation that needs to be taken back."
Planning and science manager Fiona Thomson said the council's intention was "to align wherever possible" various strands of the process.
Alongside this they planned to make as much information available as possible, "so farmers can make their own plans".
However, Dooley pointed out that the issue of external funding to implement the new regime was higher level and not necessarily trickling down to individual farmers who had to come up with the plans.
The risk now was not recognising the impact on the viability of the region's farming community.
Thomson noted the new process for farm plans was effectively "the same process" being imposed on the mining sector by the Government.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon
Waiho Flat residents in limbo for years over their futures due to worsening gravel build-up in the Waiho (Waiau) River may have a clearer path within eight weeks.
West Coast Regional Council chief executive Darryl Lew said on Thursday he accepted a … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon
Waiho Flat residents in limbo for years over their futures due to worsening gravel build-up in the Waiho (Waiau) River may have a clearer path within eight weeks.
West Coast Regional Council chief executive Darryl Lew said on Thursday he accepted a special rating district meeting for Franz Josef and Waiho River ratepayers was "well overdue".
But work under way this week to formulate a strategic approach to the river should help pave the way forward.
He made the comment on day two of a workshop of hydrology, engineering and river modelling experts in a technical advisory group (TAG) focused on Franz Josef.
Lew said they had all previously studied the Waiho River and as a group had visited the riverbank on Wednesday before returning to Greymouth on Thursday to draft options to address both "old and new issues to feed into a report for the future".
He clarified his comment yesterday that all flood protection work on the Waiho was "on hold" while the options were drafted.
"I want to be very clear, while there is additional planning work required for the future management of this river, infrastructure works under way now will continue to progress."
The already approved stage 1 work under the $24 million Waiho protection scheme on the north bank was continuing as planned, providing a new link bank down from the Franz Josef heliport.
However, work on a further low bank to prevent the Waiho from flowing into the adjoining Tatare River was not proceeding as it had not started.
"At the moment we're not working on the Tatare bank — there's no Tatare bank."
Any Tatare solution may fall into a future a stage two scheme but nothing had been decided yet, Lew said.
However, the work of the TAG convened this week could help shape what happened next.
"We're not progressing on any of that new stuff until we get the results of this report."
While convening the panel of experts this week might appear to some as a repeat of past activity given "a huge number" of Waiho reports in the past, "what we are doing now is assessing the new threats that have presented themselves in recent months".
"These may require a new approach for the future."
He said "some of the best minds in New Zealand" were on the ground to formulate a 10-year river management strategy for the regional council to deliver.
"It will not cover infrastructure such as the road, heli-pad, oxidation ponds or the town itself. Decisions around those assets will need to be made, but that comes next."
The report would be drafted over the coming month and then be presented to the regional council, Westland District Council, the NZ Transport Agency and Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio, "before being taken to the community in six to eight weeks' time".
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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With changes to Australia's citizenship process, many are moving to Oz for better wages and lower taxes. Have you considered moving down under or are you fiercely kiwi?
Share your thoughts by commenting below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the… View moreWith changes to Australia's citizenship process, many are moving to Oz for better wages and lower taxes. Have you considered moving down under or are you fiercely kiwi?
Share your thoughts by commenting below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the We Say You Say column of your local paper.
On the 25th - 27th of August 2023 more than 70 Arts Canterbury members will be exhibiting at the second Arts Canterbury Art Show at The Cashmere Club.
This event is a fundraiser for Arts Canterbury so that they may continue to provide support to local artists.
At the ticketed opening night … View moreOn the 25th - 27th of August 2023 more than 70 Arts Canterbury members will be exhibiting at the second Arts Canterbury Art Show at The Cashmere Club.
This event is a fundraiser for Arts Canterbury so that they may continue to provide support to local artists.
At the ticketed opening night you can enjoy a complimentary drink, nibbles and music while enjoying all of the art and mingling with the artists.
The show will then be open to the public Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm, and is just a gold coin donation on the door.
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