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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A total of 534 public submissions were received for the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP), a combined district plan for the West Coast.
TTPP project manager Jo Armstrong updated the committee last week, noting that about 20 late submissions … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A total of 534 public submissions were received for the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP), a combined district plan for the West Coast.
TTPP project manager Jo Armstrong updated the committee last week, noting that about 20 late submissions which had been accepted by the chairperson.
So far 427 submissions had been summarised, with hearings to be held later in the year.
With over 100 submissions yet to
be summarised some delay was expected in completing the
submissions summary for the committee due to the availability of
the principal planner, who was
affected by the Hawke's Bay cyclone damage.
"I think there is a likelihood in light of having lost (time with) our
principal planner due to Cyclone Gabrielle that we will not have a summary by March 30."
Former West Coast Regional Council planning and science manager Rachel Vaughan had been engaged in the meantime.
Armstrong said the submissions yet to be summarised covered a broad spectrum of the plan, and some represented large organisations or groups.
Natural hazard rules and maps attracted nearly 100 submissions while there had been 185 rezoning requests — mainly related to the intersection of rural zones and other areas.
This was "not unexpected at all" given the amount of land rezoned under the proposed plan.
Armstrong suggested prehearing meetings with those submitters
would be a way of managing that workload.
She said there was also a lot of support for the plan.
Sites and areas of significance to Maori drew more than 55 submissions, and historic heritage 25.
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With universities starting up last week, so brings first-time flatters trying their hand at cooking for the first time. In 2020, 27% of a household’s weekly budget was spent on takeaways so it’s no wonder that cooking is becoming a bit of a lost art.
Alongside sewing and knitting, what other … View moreWith universities starting up last week, so brings first-time flatters trying their hand at cooking for the first time. In 2020, 27% of a household’s weekly budget was spent on takeaways so it’s no wonder that cooking is becoming a bit of a lost art.
Alongside sewing and knitting, what other vital skills do you think are at risk of being lost?
Share your thoughts below for the We Say You Say column in the local paper - write NFP if you want your comments excluded.
If you need more forms or accessibility formats,visit www. census.govt.nz, or call 0800 236 787 for help.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Addressing the critical flood risk to Hokitika township by raising the Hokitika River stopbank is at the "top of the priority list" for the West Coast Regional Council.
It hopes to tender the project in about six weeks and hopes to … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Addressing the critical flood risk to Hokitika township by raising the Hokitika River stopbank is at the "top of the priority list" for the West Coast Regional Council.
It hopes to tender the project in about six weeks and hopes to present the scope of the latest project to a meeting of the Hokitika joint floodwall district within a month, regional council acting chairperson Peter Haddock said on Thursday.
Meanwhile they were liaising with Westland District Council (WDC) over its stormwater pipe through the existing bank off Townbelt East.
"Council have been working closely with the WDC because the WDC put some pipes under the existing stopbank there and the wall is slightly lower now than what it was originally," Haddock said.
The top of the bank at the WDC outfall point was now a worry as the main channel of the river was increasingly turning towards the channel behind Westland Milk Products and would be compromised.
The river had already been within 400ml of topping the bank at that point in a previous flood, Haddock said.
"We're trying to work in with WDC to make sure they do the reinstatement work there. We have put the pressure on them to get something resolved," he said.
WDC chief executive Simon Bastion said on Thursday that the stormwater project was not finished yet.
"The outfall position will not change. We are awaiting the final design of the protection works from WCRC," he said.
Haddock said work on finalising the broader river protection work along the bank from Hokitika Bridge to WMP "is progressing well".
The council was hoping to go to tender within two months although it would need to be presented in a meeting of the joint rating district first.
It was very cognizant of what was at stake for the community and the West Coast dairy industry - as had been highlighted recently by veteran dairy farmer and former Grey District councillor Alan Berry when he fronted council and warned of the consequences of an ‘old man’ flood.
"Council are all over the project. It has been given real high priority because of that risk. That is at the top of the council's priority list,” Haddock said.
“That's a very high risk: everyone is concerned about that."
Haddock said they hoped to have firm figures before the next full council meeting in a fortnight and to go to a meeting of the joint Hokitika rating district this month.
"We're hoping to be out for tender in the next six weeks."
The money previously allocated to council under the Government's shovel ready scheme for extension of the Hokitika seawall had now been reallocated by the infrastrucutre division of MBIE, Kanoa, after it agreed the river protection was more urgent.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The cost of implementing the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan is set to cost "north of $5 million" before it is finalised.
And a further envoy to the Government is on the cards over West Coast ratepayers having to pay for their new … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The cost of implementing the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan is set to cost "north of $5 million" before it is finalised.
And a further envoy to the Government is on the cards over West Coast ratepayers having to pay for their new 'one district plan' for Buller, Grey and Westland.
The plan is a 'test case' of the Government's Resource Management Act reforms, which propose 17 new regional plans instead of having dozens of district plans.
The cost was again raised at the TTPP committee meeting in Westport on Tuesday.
West Coast Regional Council chief executive Heather Mabin said Environment Minister David Parker had refused to help with implementation costs when last approached in October.
The plan came out of a 2019 Order in Council after the Local Government Commission declined a petition to amalgamate councils on the West Coast and instead ruled that their district plans should be combined. The order also put it on the regional council to rate for the costs of developing the plan.
Apart from an initial $250,000 contribution from the Government, the council has either rated or had to borrow for the costs to date. By the end of January, borrowing so far amounted to nearly $1m.
TTPP chairperson Rex Williams said there was quite a bit of work to come, including public hearings of submissions.
Appeals to the Environment Court are also likely.
Committee alternate member councillor Frank Dooley said it would be a question of whether the regional council borrowed or increased rates to cover the cost of developing the plan.
"We haven't had that discussion yet," he said.
Iwi representative Paul Madgwick said as the process forged ahead the costs were exploding.
"Three and a half years down the track it now becomes fully apparent this is going to cost us north of $5m.
"I find it appalling we got the princely sum of $250,000 from the Government and the rest has to be shouldered by the ratepayers."
Regional council deputy chairperson Peter Haddock said it was "quite a burden" on the region's tiny rating base.
"This was foisted on us by the Government ... We should be trying to get some money back," Haddock said.
Westland mayor Helen Lash concurred: "We can't shunt this back on to ratepayers".
Dooley agreed the impact was escalating. "I think it is only appropriate that we get together and make a submission."
Williams noted two submissions about the cost had already been put to the Government.
Mabin said Parker's response to the latest request for help was "thank you very much, but no".
Dooley said another approach to the Government was needed.
Madgwick noted it was all very well for the minister to dismiss the region in a letter, "but it wouldn't be so easy for him to dismiss a West Coast delegation".
"We're a guinea pig here for RMA reform. Get on a plane and hop up to Wellington and bang on his door, or Chippie's (Chris Hipkin's) door."
The meeting generally agreed raising a delegation should be decided by the West Coast Mayors and Chairs Forum, once the TTPP budget had been clarified in the next eight weeks.
The hearings, which will get under way later this year, are expected to bring substantial costs into next year.
"Judging by other councils' experiences, TTPP can expect to pay up to $1m on commissioner fees, planning consultants and expert witnesses over a 12-month period," a staff report said.
This did not include dealing with contentious issues at the hearing stage, requiring further costly planner and expert research.
* Disclosure: Te Runanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick is also the editor of the Greymouth Star. He took no part in the commissioning, writing or editing of this LDR story.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
If you need more forms or accessibility formats, visit www.census.govt.nz, or call 0800 236 787 for help.
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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Application for consent to build new beach access to the Hokitika beachfront has been rejected by the West Coast Regional Council at this stage.
And the dispute over a $90,000 claim the Westland District Council believes it has with the regional … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Application for consent to build new beach access to the Hokitika beachfront has been rejected by the West Coast Regional Council at this stage.
And the dispute over a $90,000 claim the Westland District Council believes it has with the regional council to contribute to the access project has not been settled.
The proposal to improve access over the rock seawall off the end of Weld Lane was put forward in the Westland District Council's 2020-21 annual plan.
But it has been bogged down after the regional council baulked at a $90,000 invoice it received from the Westland council for its 'share'.
Westland's chief executive Simon Bastion told his council in December the bill was still under discussion.
Westland's district assets group manager Scott Baxendale said this week there was still no start date for the work, after the council had earlier indicated it would be under way by now.
However, they would soon be engaging with the regional council as consent holders for the wall.
"We are still working through the consenting requirements regarding the beach access," Baxendale said.
The district council was commissioning a project manager to move the project on, including gaining the appropriate consents.
Meanwhile, the disputed invoice was "not resolved", he said.
Regional council acting consents and compliance manager Rachel Clark said the Westland council had lodged a consent application late last year relating to ramp access at the beach.
But it had been rejected by the regional council's consultant due to a lack of supporting information with the application.
Clark said they had not received anything further yet from Westland.
Chief executive Heather Mabin said Westland had still been "unable to produce evidence" that the regional council had agreed to partially fund the district council's beach access project.
A forensic search by the regional council of files for any evidence of an agreement about the $90,000 had turned up nought last year.
"[Westland chief executive] Simon Bastion has been unable to produce any evidence or any agreement," she said.
"I have let Simon know we will not be paying an invoice for $90,000."
Mabin said it would simply be "not prudent" to cough up, noting that the Westland bill equated to a $4.50 cost per rating unit, "to build a beach access we haven't officially agreed to".
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A stay on a 427% increase in electricity transmission charges for over 4800 Buller consumers was welcomed today by the mayor.
Early this month Buller Electricity Ltd, owned by the Buller Electricity Power Trust, mounted a legal challenge against … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A stay on a 427% increase in electricity transmission charges for over 4800 Buller consumers was welcomed today by the mayor.
Early this month Buller Electricity Ltd, owned by the Buller Electricity Power Trust, mounted a legal challenge against national grid operator Transpower, which proposed increasing transmission charges by 427%.
The increase was due to take effect from April 1.
Today, Buller Electricity announced that following court action an interim arrangement had been reached "pausing any increases".
This would be until the judicial review application was resolved, it said.
Buller mayor Jamie Cleine said given Westport's relative isolation and low population the stay was what might be hoped for in the circumstances.
"Buller is at the end of a pretty long line in terms of supply. Those charges passed on by the lines companies have a pretty powerful impact," Cleine said.
This was against a background of "an uncompetitive" market, natural disaster, and the loss of the district's single biggest electricity customer, Holcim Cement, which closed in 2016.
Cleine said he understood that loss to Transpower was to have been passed on to the rest of Buller power consumers, at a time when the district was significantly challenged after the flood recovery.
"That was my understanding, they effectively had to distribute that share of the line cost to all of the other connections on the network - quite unhelpful.
"It's a pity it has to go to court action before that can be brought to the table -- a good outcome before it is eventually resolved."
Buller Electricity director Shannon Hollis said today the interim arrangement was the first hurdle in a process.
"For us it's the very first step in the process; it's what we were hoping to achieve."
The company was awaiting a formal hearing date in May.
Under the interim arrangement, Buller Electricity will be reducing the transmission price increases previously notified to energy retailers, such as Genesis, Pulse Energy and Contact Energy.
"We recognise this is not an ideal situation for [energy] retailers, some of whom may have already communicated the increased prices to their customers," Hollis said.
However, the overriding concern for Buller Electricity was avoiding "significant hardship" for local residents and businesses, caused by the massive transmission charge signalled by Transpower.
The effect of the interim agreement was to provide "much needed relief" for local consumers for the time being, until a court determination.
One of the terms of the interim agreement was that the parties would seek a fixture as soon as possible so the legality of Transpower's proposed reclassification of lines assets could be determined by the courts without delay.
The increase notified by Transpower in December largely reflected a change to the way it classified national grid assets in Buller.
Hollis said the impact was "particularly harsh" given the small population of about 4850 end-consumers.
He iwi tahi tatou. Together we are one nation, united by Te Whare Rūnanga, standing tall next to the Treaty House and built by the hands of my whānau for not only Māori and Pākehā, but all New Zealanders. I invite you to come and share in their story.”
Pita Tipene is the Chair of the … View moreHe iwi tahi tatou. Together we are one nation, united by Te Whare Rūnanga, standing tall next to the Treaty House and built by the hands of my whānau for not only Māori and Pākehā, but all New Zealanders. I invite you to come and share in their story.”
Pita Tipene is the Chair of the Waitangi National Trust. He, and all of those all of those at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, invite you to come and feel the stories that shaped Aotearoa.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Westroads has begun the process of renewing consents for its longstanding gravel extraction along Blaketown beach at Greymouth.
A newcomer to Blaketown who recently approached Local Democracy Reporting was shocked at the operation and claimed … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Westroads has begun the process of renewing consents for its longstanding gravel extraction along Blaketown beach at Greymouth.
A newcomer to Blaketown who recently approached Local Democracy Reporting was shocked at the operation and claimed the rate of extraction had accelerated in recent times and was going deeper than permitted.
"They're taking vast amounts — they're wrecking the beach basically. I think they've been doing this for years probably, but lately they've really accelerated it," they claimed.
However, the West Coast Regional Council has checked the consented extraction in the past week and found nothing substantially wrong.
Acting consents and compliance manager Rachel Clark said they had undertaken an inspection and on the day everything was above board.
However, compliance staff had reminded Westroads of their responsibilities to keep their gravel take above the waterline.
Photographs prior to the inspection showing machinery working in the tide "did raise a few concerns" as a 5m no-take buffer was supposed to be maintained to the water's edge.
Gravel being piled on the beach head was also meant to be temporary.
"They are also not supposed to be stockpiling in the CMA (coastal marine area) unless the stockpile is levelled out and respread at the end of the day's activities."
Clark said the current resource consent allows Westroads to take from the beach from the area adjacent to the Westroads yard in Flower St, to a point just short of the Blaketown tiphead.
A consent renewal process was now under way and awaiting affected party approval, she said.
It was not being publicly notified.
"They are allowed to continue to operate under their current consent until the new one is either granted or declined."
Westroads is ultimately owned by the Westland District Council. It has consents for similar activity from South Beach to behind the Paroa School.
A supporting technical report for Westroads by shoreline consultant Dr Martin Single, supplied to the regional council, presents a description of the physical coastal environment of Blaketown and Paroa-South Beach.
Historical changes are analysed, updating previous analysis and reporting from 2007 and 2012.
The executive summary of the 68-page technical report describes long term stability of the backshore from Blaketown south and an increase in beach volume along the beach length.
Previous study of erosion phases superimposed on the long-term trend of gravel accretion showed the latter "masks the effects of the gravel extraction," Short said.
"The survey data shows no systemic retreat of the shoreline or loss of beach volume over the longer time period of data from 2005 to May 2022.
"There are also no persistent localised erosion 'hot spots' along the shore related directly to areas of sediment extraction."
Historical beach sediment extraction regarding shoreline erosion, beach volume loss or inundation by wave overtopping the backshore or beach crest did not appear to be significant.
"There also do not appear to be adverse short-term effects of the extraction activity. The data analysis indicates that the historical consented extraction volumes are sustainable and would not result in an adverse effect.
"This is also projected to be the case over the proposed 10-year consenting period with projected sea level rise."
* Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A billion-dollar business that underpins the West Coast economy is under threat for want of better flood protection on the Hokitika River.
"It's a disaster waiting to happen."
That was the pithy message from long-time Grey … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A billion-dollar business that underpins the West Coast economy is under threat for want of better flood protection on the Hokitika River.
"It's a disaster waiting to happen."
That was the pithy message from long-time Grey Valley dairy farmer and former Grey district councillor Paul Berry to the West Coast Regional Council last week.
"Seriously, it could flood tomorrow," Berry said in a to-the-point presentation to the council's Infrastructure Governance Committee.
Strengthening the floodwall on the northern channel of the Hokitika River, where it was cutting into the bank behind the Westland Milk Products dairy factory, should have started three months ago.
With his 60-year experience of big West Coast rivers and knowing their ability to suddenly change course, he said no one could afford complacency about what could happen with the Hokitika River.
"That job needed starting two to three months ago. There are over 300 family farms in our region and they need their milk picked up 24/7, and if anything like has happened in the North Island comes up, it's bad news for the factory.
"It's a disaster just waiting to happen - and we don't need another one," Berry told the committee.
A solution for the riverbank including heightening it has been in the planning for the past year. The regional council gained several millions of 'shovel ready' money from the Government to improve flood protection along the lower Hokitika River bordering the residential and town centre.
However, with the departure of key staff at the regional council, the project has lagged.
Former Westland mayor Bruce Smith warned before the local body elections last year that the regional council and Westland District Council faced "litigation risk" if they did not get on with it.
Last week, councillor Peter Haddock asked Berry how he rated the current risk on the Hokitika River behind the dairy factory.
Berry said he could only speak on the basis of "the university of life".
But to him if an 'old man flood' arrived now he could not see anything less than a catastrophe - not only for the factory but also residential Hokitika.
The river was chewing its way towards an old channel and was now within metres of being a major threat to the entire area.
"It's curtains. Rivers like soft curves [and] chewing out gravel. We can't make it any clearer than that."
Infrastructure committee chairperson councillor Frank Dooley said from what Berry was saying, the dairy factory was "extremely vulnerable".
"It is not only the biggest employer on the West Coast but creates the most income per GDP," Dooley said, so the council had a responsibility to act with urgency.
Haddock said there was also the environmental factor to consider if the dairy factory was affected by flooding, leaving farmers from Karamea to Fox Glacier having to dump their milk.
Councillor Andy Campbell, a Harihari dairy farmer, said the threat to the dairy industry was too important to leave until after the event to fix.
"We can't wait for big floods and want to do something about it ... it's a $1 billion industry."
Dooley said the proposed Hokitika River protection scheme was due to be discussed in-committee but he assured Berry "we are on to it".
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
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