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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A proposal to shift the road tax burden onto those who drive the furthest will really hit people living in provincial regions like the West Coast, the chair of its regional transport committee says.
West Coast Regional Transport Committee … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A proposal to shift the road tax burden onto those who drive the furthest will really hit people living in provincial regions like the West Coast, the chair of its regional transport committee says.
West Coast Regional Transport Committee chairperson Peter Ewen said the West Coast needed to "front foot it" by banding together with similar regions to strongly submit against some of the proposed measures.
The Government is proposing to increase the fuel excise tax at the pump - ahead of further work to put all vehicles on an even footing by paying a road user charge instead.
This could see all vehicles - electric, petrol and diesel - being charged based on weight and distance travelled.
This approach could be "very significant" for the 650km long West Coast region, Ewen told council's Resource Management Committee this week.
Ewen said it could "unduly penalise" the West Coast and similar rural provincial regions which had no public transport, meaning people needed to drive long distances to access basic services like medical care.
The move to charge based on "use" would be disproportionate compared to the major urban centres, leaving the West Coast "at the vanguard" of user pays again for rural dwellers, the West Coast Regional councillor said.
"We have to make it very clear that one fit doesn't fit all … the talk of transport is all urban focused," he said.
Councillor Frank Dooley said the proposed changes seemed "really weak" on mitigations.
"I get really concerned when they talk about 'nature based solutions'."
Councillor Brett Cummings said it did put the issues back to the region "to come up with solutions".
At the same time the price of fuel and the impact on the region's industry "is really expensive".
"From my point of view I'd rather they take some of the tax off fuel for those that don't drive on the road."
He was referring to the likes of farming and mining machinery which pay road user charges through their fuel.
Councillor Peter Haddock, a member of the regional transport committee, said the idea was to ensure electric vehicles now paid for their road use.
He suggested Ewen and himself would be more than happy to advocate at a South Island level.
CEwen said the pressure was only going to get worse in the meantime with the country now reliant on imported refined fuel already exacerbating rural living costs.
"This is getting out of hand. We don't have any Marsden Point any more, and we're at the end of the queue, with rural communities even further back."
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The top three polluted creeks on the West Coast will be targeted in a voluntary new approach to help clean up its waterways.
The West Coast Regional Council, using decades of previous data, plans to work with adjoining landowners in to address … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The top three polluted creeks on the West Coast will be targeted in a voluntary new approach to help clean up its waterways.
The West Coast Regional Council, using decades of previous data, plans to work with adjoining landowners in to address polluted waterways via "non regulatory methods".
Waimea Creek, which hosts almost a dozen working gold mines, is one of the worst three, with multiple abatements slapped on mine operators following a raft of complaints over many years.
Bradshaws Creek near Westport and Baker Creek near Karamea are the other two on the list, with farming believed to be contributing to poor water quality.
Council's resource management committee agreed on May 7 to press "pause" on its Freshwater Farm Plan measures as it awaits a Government review of the system.
The regional council then endorsed promoting a voluntary approach via the catchment management programme.
Acting planning manager Selva Selvarajah said the proposed approach in working with adjoining landowners was "almost brand new" for the region.
Until now catchment issues had been dealt with by council on a case-by-case basis, he said.
"Non regulatory methods" via catchment management programmes can be effective, based on wider experience.
The pause now on the Freshwater Farm approach gave scope for council's own catchment programme, he said.
Key stakeholders Poutini Ngāi Tahu, the farming sector and the region's dairy company were on board with the new voluntary approach.
Decades of catchment data held by council was used to identify the most problematic areas to make a start, Selvarajah said.
Programme co-ordinator Koeen Beets said their data base on E Coli, phosphorus, clarity, and macroinvertebrates helped them identify "the poorest" catchments.
Waimea Creek, Bradshaws Creek and Baker Creek were "the worst case scenarios".
Waimea had "a very poor" clarity score linked to activity in the catchment. Yet to be harvested plantation forestry, mining and farming were believed to be factors.
Beets said mixed farming dominated Bradshaws Creek, and he presented a picture of stock pugging on that creek's bank as an example.
That creek fed into the same estuary as Martins Creek, above the popular swimming spot on Marrs Beach opposite the town of Westport.
That beach has been on council's radar for years for its poor swimming water quality.
Beets said that catchment would require a broad approach to understand the complex factors at play.
Council environmental scientist Jonny Horrox said Martins Creek would not be ignored following a previous community-group approach.
There was less farming in that catchment compared to Bradshaws, he said.
Beets said the E .coli levels for the dairy-dominated Baker Creek at Karamea was very poor.
He said it was on a score where if a swimmer dipped into it 100 times, they would become sick from seven of those swims, he said.
Consultant Nicola McGrouther, an expert in catchment management, said the aim was to support adjoining landowners to voluntarily make changes to improve water quality.
"They need to be farmer-led and community-led," she said.
Each catchment programme would be unique with an underlying standard approach similar to that used by the NZ Landcare Trust community catchment model.
"We work with those communities to understand what the issues are."
Councillor Frank Dooley, who queried a possible link between Westport's wastewater treatment site and the headwaters of Bradshaws Creek, said he wanted to see an action plan on how the groups would be formed.
Council chief executive Darryl Lew said council already had external funding to employ Beets as the direct contact, and two further interns.
Lew believed council could direct adequate resources to support three catchment groups meantime with the existing funding until June 2025, with the council's proposed long-term plan incorporating it from there.
Hello! Are you a …
- A student/young professional renting
- A young family, renting or owning
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We’re reaching out from the Tova show, the flagship weekly politics podcast on Stuff, as we prepare for our budget coverage and how it’s affecting … View moreHello! Are you a …
- A student/young professional renting
- A young family, renting or owning
- An older New Zealander/retiree/pensioner
We’re reaching out from the Tova show, the flagship weekly politics podcast on Stuff, as we prepare for our budget coverage and how it’s affecting Kiwis - we’d love to hear from you.
We need a few people who are available the week before the budget (Wednesday 22nd/Thursday 23rd May) and on the day of the announcement (Thursday 30th May).
Please email tova@stuff.co.nz or comment below if you’d like to share your perspective with us. We give you our commitment to treat your experience with sensitivity and care.
Type NFP if you don't wish your comments to be used.
It's NZ Music Month and New Zealand really has some beautiful songs from artists that we call our own.
Whether it's April Sun in Cuba, Don't Forget your Roots, or How Bizarre or Bic Runga's 'Sway' - songs have a way of unlocking memories and evoking old feelings.
… View moreIt's NZ Music Month and New Zealand really has some beautiful songs from artists that we call our own.
Whether it's April Sun in Cuba, Don't Forget your Roots, or How Bizarre or Bic Runga's 'Sway' - songs have a way of unlocking memories and evoking old feelings.
In honour of NZ Music Month, share a New Zealand song or artist that is special to you and explain why.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
Green thumbs are being asked to watch out for a beautiful but toxic flower that could be growing in their backyards.
What you need to know:
- Every part of the plant is poisonous, and can cause gastroenteritis, thirst, paralysis, blindness, and heart and kidney failure.
- This plant is hardy … View moreGreen thumbs are being asked to watch out for a beautiful but toxic flower that could be growing in their backyards.
What you need to know:
- Every part of the plant is poisonous, and can cause gastroenteritis, thirst, paralysis, blindness, and heart and kidney failure.
- This plant is hardy and normal pest control efforts are often not enough to eradicate.
- The cape tulip, growing up to 90cm high with one strap-like leaf, was introduced to Aotearoa in the 1940s, the Ministry for Primary Industries’ manager for pest management John Sanson said. “Cape tulips, like many of these invasive weeds, are really attractive ornamental species ...but they escape over people’s backyard fences and into pasture, as these things often do,”
- It was classified as a noxious plant in the late 1970s after they were discovered to cause harm to livestock and humans, even killing animals when too much as ingested.
- The salmon-pink flowers bloom for about two days a year between June and December, and have previously been an ornamental species for keen gardeners.
Sanson urged people who believed they had the weed growing on their property to leave it untouched and contact Biosecurity New New Zealand’s Exotic Pest and Disease on 0800 80 99 66.
Once a site was confirmed, manual removal or chemical treatment would start.
Build a sturdy little box to keep your seed packets organised and easily accessible. Finish it in Resene Seaweed and Resene Aquaclear. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we’ve got you covered. Enjoy up to 34% off 1-year magazine subscriptions and grab a gift for yourself or a mother figure that’ll last all year long!
With over 50 titles to choose from, there’s something for everyone at mags4gifts.co.nz. To make … View moreWith Mother’s Day just around the corner, we’ve got you covered. Enjoy up to 34% off 1-year magazine subscriptions and grab a gift for yourself or a mother figure that’ll last all year long!
With over 50 titles to choose from, there’s something for everyone at mags4gifts.co.nz. To make your gift even more special, make sure to click the “This order is a gift” box to add a free personalised e-card to your order. Mother’s Day offers end at midnight on 11 May, so don’t miss out! T&Cs apply.
Further work on a project to extend the Hokitika Seawall is currently "on hold" pending further consultation.
However, a broad range of resilience work for Hokitika was canvassed during the 2024 annual meeting of the Hokitika Rating District Joint Committee this week.
Just one … View moreFurther work on a project to extend the Hokitika Seawall is currently "on hold" pending further consultation.
However, a broad range of resilience work for Hokitika was canvassed during the 2024 annual meeting of the Hokitika Rating District Joint Committee this week.
Just one member of the public attended the midday meeting in the Westland District Council chambers on Monday.
However, the committee was warned the next step to progress the Hokitika Seawall extension would be "contentious" with high public interest.
West Coast Regional Council chief executive Darry Lew said they were now awaiting a hearing date to further that process.
It would include retrospective consent for the emergency works on the rock buffer north of Beach Street, following the storm in April.
Lew said a 50/50 split in submissions either for or against the proposed seawall extension showed strong feeling either way.
"This consent process will be contentious."
But at this stage he had put the consent process "on hold to consider other matters".
This was partly to allow the new group manager responsible for the project's oversight to get up to speed.
That manager would start in about a fortnight but the process now needed careful consideration or even a pre-hearing process to "perhaps settle matters" before a formal hearing, Lew said.
Mayor Helen Lash said a local residents group formed to advocate against needed to be approached "with a very open mind".
"They have done their homework," she said.
Lew agreed.
However, at this stage the only people across the engineering details was council's own consultant on the matter, he said.
"Nobody has talked to the community about this (yet). I'm confident that my new group manager will do a good job on this," Lew said.
The joint meeting agreed to a total special rates strike of $101,562 in 2024-25.
Sluggish progress on the next, Gibson Quay, stage of the Hokitika River flood resilience work - due to KiwiRail requests, and the next phase for new CBD protection from the sea inundation risk up from the Hokitika River were also aired.
Council staff defended their approach to emergency work following the April storm impacting near Beach St.
Council engineer Jordon Mandry said they had contacted joint committee members about the need to immediately deal with the rockfall risk to beach users.
The risk "was quite significant" and it was undertaken under emergency work provisions allowed under the Resource Management Act.
At the same time restoring the rockwork exactly was conservative given the pending seawall extension proposal.
Mandry said they recommended continuing the permanent seawall consent process at which point the rockwork could be built to the appropriate design standard.
Lash asked what the risk in April had been perceived to be.
Acting catchments group manager Shanti Morgan said their thinking "evolved".
"The risk to beachgoers was the main one. We were dealing with King tides."
At the same time communication over it "could have been better" and the risk to land still remained.
Lash said her big concern was the alignment of the emergency work with the future potential project.
Mandry said the April repair work "was a temporary solution".
"There's no point in doing something unless you go down the track with permanent rock wall building."
Lew said the risk to children was very real given the big seas in April had undermined some of the rockwork.
"With very little pressure, some of that big rock would have turned on a small child - inevitably people do move across to play on rock."
For the uninitiated, lawn bowls may just look like a bunch of people throwing balls up and down a flat piece of grass.
But for Evelyn Page Retirement Village resident Leonie, it is a game of skill that has brought her 40 years of friendship, camaraderie and many fun-filled experiences and … View moreFor the uninitiated, lawn bowls may just look like a bunch of people throwing balls up and down a flat piece of grass.
But for Evelyn Page Retirement Village resident Leonie, it is a game of skill that has brought her 40 years of friendship, camaraderie and many fun-filled experiences and memories.
So much so, that she has dedicated most of the last 20-plus years to umpiring the game. It is her way of giving back, she says, and now she is lending those skills to the upcoming trans-Tasman inter-village Ryman Roll Up.
Click read more for the full story.
Neighbourly is aware that online safety is front of mind for members, and scams are getting more tricky to spot. So we thought we'd share some tips from Netsafe to keep you informed about what to avoid and where to get help.
Where do scams take place?
Over the phone, via text message, via… View moreNeighbourly is aware that online safety is front of mind for members, and scams are getting more tricky to spot. So we thought we'd share some tips from Netsafe to keep you informed about what to avoid and where to get help.
Where do scams take place?
Over the phone, via text message, via email, online or even in person.
What red flags should you be looking out for? Ask yourself these questions...
- Were you expecting this message? or was it out of the blue?
- Are they saying there's a problem which you didn't anticipate?
- Are you having to give money over?
- Are you being rushed?
- Are you being told to click on a link or go to an unfamiliar website?
- Are you being asked to share personal info or passwords?
- Are you being asked to pay in a strange way like wire transfer, gift cards, etc
- Does something not feel right? Do you feel confused?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, it's best to stop communicating and seek support. But if you've already given over money, contact your bank immediately.
You can check if it's a scam by contacting |Netsafe|:
- Toll-free on 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723) or +6496660840 if calling from outside New Zealand
- Emailing help@netsafe.org.nz
If you're pretty sure it's a scam, make a report at netsafe.org.nz
Remember Neighbourly is a free service for neighbours so we won't ask you for money or for your password. All emails will come from noreply@neighbourly.co.nz - so feel free to get in touch if you're unsure of something!
Hope this helps you, neighbours!
This Mother’s Day enjoy up to 32% off when you subscribe to NZ House & Garden magazine for 1 year PLUS go in the draw to win one of 90 Antipodes serums worth $56 each! This silky-light hyaluronic serum offers up to 72 hours’ hydration to quench skin and foster a fresh, dewy appearance.
… View moreThis Mother’s Day enjoy up to 32% off when you subscribe to NZ House & Garden magazine for 1 year PLUS go in the draw to win one of 90 Antipodes serums worth $56 each! This silky-light hyaluronic serum offers up to 72 hours’ hydration to quench skin and foster a fresh, dewy appearance.
Gift a subscription today at mags4gifts.co.nz and add a personalised e-card to your order to make your gift even more special. Offer ends at midnight on 19 May, so don’t miss out! T&Cs apply.
This Mother's Day treat yourself or a loved one with the ultimate Sunday self-care gift.
Purchase a discounted subscription to Sunday Star-Times before 12 May, and receive a FREE Antipodes Maya Hyaluronic 72-Hour Hydration Serum worth $56*. Find out more below.
Gifting a subscription? … View moreThis Mother's Day treat yourself or a loved one with the ultimate Sunday self-care gift.
Purchase a discounted subscription to Sunday Star-Times before 12 May, and receive a FREE Antipodes Maya Hyaluronic 72-Hour Hydration Serum worth $56*. Find out more below.
Gifting a subscription? Add a personalised e-card to your order to make your gift even more special. Offer ends next week so don’t miss out! T&Cs apply, promo code must be applied.
91-year-old Dora is a rest home resident at Ryman.
Between family gatherings, bus trips and village activities, she certainly enjoys a full life. With the many friendships she’s made, the caregivers and village staff have become an extension of her family.
Hear about Dora’s experience … View more91-year-old Dora is a rest home resident at Ryman.
Between family gatherings, bus trips and village activities, she certainly enjoys a full life. With the many friendships she’s made, the caregivers and village staff have become an extension of her family.
Hear about Dora’s experience living in a Ryman community.
For only $15 a ticket, you could be in to win this brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home located in stunning Papamoa, worth just over $1 million.
Featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, this home is waiting to be loved by its new owner.
Make… View moreFor only $15 a ticket, you could be in to win this brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home located in stunning Papamoa, worth just over $1 million.
Featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, this home is waiting to be loved by its new owner.
Make this property your permanent residence, a holiday home, a rental, or you can simply sell it! Get your tickets today.
This Mother's Day treat yourself or a loved one with the ultimate Sunday self-care gift.
Purchase a discounted subscription to Sunday Star-Times before 12 May, and receive a FREE Antipodes Maya Hyaluronic 72-Hour Hydration Serum worth $56*. Find out more below.
Gifting a subscription? … View moreThis Mother's Day treat yourself or a loved one with the ultimate Sunday self-care gift.
Purchase a discounted subscription to Sunday Star-Times before 12 May, and receive a FREE Antipodes Maya Hyaluronic 72-Hour Hydration Serum worth $56*. Find out more below.
Gifting a subscription? Add a personalised e-card to your order to make your gift even more special. Offer ends next week so don’t miss out! T&Cs apply, promo code must be applied.
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