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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Westport flood resilience money is trickling in to the West Coast Regional Council almost three years after the town was ravaged by flooding.
But replenishment by $1 million of a 'catastrophe' fund spent by council on emergency flood … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Westport flood resilience money is trickling in to the West Coast Regional Council almost three years after the town was ravaged by flooding.
But replenishment by $1 million of a 'catastrophe' fund spent by council on emergency flood works in the aftermath of the July 2021 flood has yet to be finalised.
The council hopes to soon use some of the $16.6m allocated under the co-funded $22.9million package announced in the May 2023 Budget as it works to progress some of the 'quick win' aspects of the broader stopbank scheme for the town.
Hundreds of homes were evacuated when heavy rain caused extensive flooding in Westport in July 2021. Some 400 houses were initially red-stickered with 23% of the town's housing stock needing repair. The town was then hit again by flooding in 2022.
In the May deal, the Government agreed to top up council's catastrophe funds, which were used to make urgent fixes to Westport's historic flood defences, inland from the town, in 2022.
The emergency protection repairs were needed as the town was still as vulnerable to the events which led to the July 2021 event.
An investments and borrowing report to council's Risk and Assurance Committee this week noted council was still awaiting a Department of Internal Affairs evaluation and "subsequent payment".
Councillor Peter Haddock said he was concerned council "still haven't got that money".
Chief executive Darryl Lew said he was meeting DIA officials in Westport this week "in an effort to release that catastrophe money".
He said he did not foresee any barriers to the money coming back.
Committee chairperson Frank Dooley said he looked forward to an update and receipt of the funds.
Councillor Brett Cummings said he raised the repayment with DIA officials at the Westport Resilience Governance meeting, last week.
"They said they had the invoice and they were looking into it."
Dooley said he accepted Lew's optimism, "there are no barriers".
Acting corporate services manager Aaron Prendergast said the context needed to be clarified.
The council had only rendered the necessary invoices to DIA last month for the emergency spend and payment was barely due, he said.
"At the moment I would have no reason to expect money in our account yet."
Cummings asked why the invoices had not been rendered earlier.
Dooley noted it would reflect council having been "completely under resourced" until recently.
Lew said his upcoming discussion with the DIA was principally about the drawdown of the main funds to start the main stopbank work.
The 2023 general election and the transition to a new administration have previously cited as a as a reason for the delayed $1m repayment.
The report details the special investment fund has built up again from $484,759 at the end of the June 2023 quarter to $495,817 at December 31.
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The lack of a lighting plan in a West Coast mine application near the breeding colony of the critically endangered Westland petrel "is a big omission", the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.
However, a DOC expert told a Grey District … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The lack of a lighting plan in a West Coast mine application near the breeding colony of the critically endangered Westland petrel "is a big omission", the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.
However, a DOC expert told a Grey District and West Coast Regional councils hearing on Monday that not every potentially fatal grounding of the nocturnal Westland petrel (tāiko) can be attributed to light attraction.
Mining company TiGa has reapplied for a resource consent for an open-cast mine at Barrytown, north of Greymouth.
During the hearing, DOC legal counsel Ceri Warnock said tāiko groundings are known to result in death "in half of all cases" and TiGa needed to engage an independent lighting expert to understand the risk posed by the mine.
The lack of a lighting plan in the TiGa application was "a big omission" and should be provided before any decision was made, she said.
However, DOC's Kate Simister told the hearing other factors can contribute to the death of the diving seabird including age, eyesight, nutrition, and the risk of commercial fishing by-catch.
But Simister said mitigating all the environment risk factors - including light interference - are critical to ensuring the tāiko does not become extinct.
The bird's survival rate is also threatened by increasing climate-driven erosion or landslips along the Punakaiki Coast, which can collapse onto breeding colonies, and the impact of marine heat waves in the past few years, she said.
TiGa proposes to extract heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) through sand mining 63 hectares of a Barrytown Flats farm.
HMC is in demand in the technology sector and for industrial use.
A previous application from the mining company was rejected two years ago.
Warnock said the department was "surprised" that TiGa had still not come forward with evidence from a lighting expert after four years.
This was fundamental to assess the impacts any light impact from the mine will have on the nocturnal tāiko as it flies to and from its breeding colonies in the Barrytown area.
TiGa's proposed mitigation measures did nothing to remove the "real risk" of the petrel groundings in and around the proposed mine site, Warnock said.
"I can't make any concessions until we see the lighting plan," she said.
While TiGa has already conceded it will only operate in daylight hours, how a lighting plan would operate during shift changeovers needed to be more specific, she said.
The department also noted 29 at-risk bird species within 10km of the proposed mine site including tāiko, Pacific reef heron, grey duck, and bittern.
The tiko was first identified as a distinct species in the 1940s and predominantly breeds in bush-clad colonies along the Punakaiki Coast including the Barrytown Flats.
Simister said grounded adult birds reported to the department by the public could be found as far north as Westport and as far south as Hokitika - although grounded juveniles were primarily found in the Barrytown area.
--------------------------
Since submissions opened TiGa has undertaken to:
* Restrict truck movements and mining to daylight hours.
* Enhanced penguin surveys and conservation efforts to avoid effects on korora.
* Investigate a fence to protect penguins from site.
* No dogs on site except conservation dogs.
* The processing plant to be fully housed in a building with strict exterior light restrictions.
* An updated avian management plan to address tāiko (Westland petrel) interactions on site, including shutting down the processing plant if two interactions are recorded in a four-week period.
* Bird surveys of areas surrounding the site for duration of the mine to inform any management plan for threatened and at risk bird species at the adjacent lagoon.
* Installing wildlife cameras to detect Korora and tāiko.
The proposal also involves reinstatement of planting along the adjoining Collins Creek, and the edge of its lagoon.
In addition, a fenced off 1.9ha wetland will be established in the northwest corner of the site when mining is finished.
Let your community know how a small business has made a difference in your life by nominating them in the 2024 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
Whether it's your super friendly barista, the bookstore that knows the exact book you need to read next or the florist with the biggest blooms … View moreLet your community know how a small business has made a difference in your life by nominating them in the 2024 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
Whether it's your super friendly barista, the bookstore that knows the exact book you need to read next or the florist with the biggest blooms in town nominate them now and make a small business' day.
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Featuring a unique mild hybrid engine and cutting-edge style, as well as sustainable materials that reduce environmental impact, the Mazda MX-30 is… View moreIf you’re looking for a stylish SUV that stands out from the crowd and won’t break the bank, the convention-defying Mazda MX-30 has you covered.
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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A memorial area at the Pike River Mine on the West Coast is expected to be built in about a year, the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.
However, funding is yet to be confirmed for a planned visitor centre as part of the four-stage project … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A memorial area at the Pike River Mine on the West Coast is expected to be built in about a year, the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.
However, funding is yet to be confirmed for a planned visitor centre as part of the four-stage project marking the Pike River Mine disaster.
The Pike 29 Memorial Track formally opened on February 16, in conjunction with the Pike River families group, Te Rūnunga o Ngati Waewae, and DOC.
DOC Western South Island operations director Mark Davies briefed the West Coast Conservation Board on February 21, a few days after the track was formally opened.
Davies said a pavilion and memorial at the mine portal, the third stage, is funded and expected to be completed in about 12 months.
This included 1km of sealed pedestrian access along the existing road edge to the portal.
The track was the second stage of four, which are part of plans agreed with representatives of the victims' families and the Government in 2015.
It aimed to provide a permanent memorial to the 29 men who died, as well as providing local economic benefit to the community.
The fourth stage of the plans, to turn part of the former mine administration area into a visitor centre, was at the planning stage, with funding yet to be confirmed, Davies said.
"The families understand that, the ministers understand that. We will support the families through the process."
He did not specify the original budget, but said timing and inflation had impacted the original concept.
The Paparoa Track opened in late 2019, representing the first new 'great walk' built in decades.
The Pike 29 Memorial Track is an 11km side route off the Paparoa Track, providing a loop for walkers and mountain bikers. It begins and ends near Blackball which has reinvented itself as as a base for the track.
Davies said the original agreement was for the Pike 29 track to be where "the story is told" of the 2011 tragedy.
The track has a view of the mine shaft, but at this stage the portal area remains off-limits.
Significantly, he said the recent opening marked the formal return of some of the Pike River Valley to public access for the first time since 2006.
The valley had been added to the Paparoa National Park in 2016, but DOC had to pause opening it due to the 2017 decision to reenter the drift of the Pike Mine.
The department resumed its work after June 2022, including a significant upgrade of the access road and its bridges, Davies said.
Davies said keeping public vehicles out of the area was respectful to those who died - although the department will continue to use the road for gas monitoring purposes
"The road is quite steep and we don't want the public to take vehicles up to the portal."
Davies said it was an "absolute privilege to be leading" the second aspect of the project.
He paid tribute to the board for helping facilitate a quick review of the Paparoa National Park management plan in conjunction with Ngāti Waewae in 2017.
This enabled the concept including the great walk and memorial track.
The process at the time had become "an exemplar" around what can be done to adapt national park plans including "breathing life" into Te Tiriti partnerships, he said.
* LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is being warned it is not collecting enough money from rates, and will need to consider using its investments again to subsidise rates.
The council's financial manager raised the matter as it received a report … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is being warned it is not collecting enough money from rates, and will need to consider using its investments again to subsidise rates.
The council's financial manager raised the matter as it received a report on its investment portfolio at a Risk and Assurance Committee meeting on February 20.
Committee chairperson Frank Dooley said fund manager JB Were had advised "a cautious stance" over divesting its portfolio.
Acting corporate services manager Aaron Prendergast said the draft long-term plan suggested using funds generated from this portfolio to reduce rates.
The council was "under rating".
"It is timely for some of those decisions around how the portfolio operates," he said.
Dooley said the council's rates income should generate debate again this year.
He repeated his previous stance that council could not afford to keep rates down if it were to meet its statutory responsibilities.
"This council has under rated for a number of years, and as a result we have accumulated a number of deficits," he said.
"As we go through the LTP consultation phase I think this is something that will be … debated quite rigorously."
That included the role of the investment portfolio and rates income, Dooley said.
The ouncil's investment fund closed for the six months to December 31 at just over $13 million, $431,484 higher from July 1 ($12.57m).
Its catastrophe fund sat at $495,817 while awaiting the $1m previously spent in Westport in 2022.
According to the investment report, the council owes $11.4m via the Local Government Funding Agency, and nearly $2m under a 'multi-option credit loan' with Westpac.
Prendergast said the council needed to weigh up its investment and its capacity to use that to subsidise rates increases.
"I think the quantum if we were to reinvest as opposed to subsidise rates is about $1 million a year," he said.
Councillor Brett Cummings said council had previously used investment income to subsidise rates income, but this saw the investment fund growth rate slowly decrease.
Subsequently, the council chose to build up the main fund again, with the last withdrawal in 2021.
Dooley was the sole dissenter against the 2023-24 increase of 16.4%, saying it needed to be much higher.
Meantime, some ratepayers are still unclear what their total 2023-24 rates bills will be.
Make your own portable gardening tool organiser in your favourite Resene colour.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
Hunger for Colour is back for 2024! Bring two cans of food into your local Resene ColorShop and swap them for one Resene testpot (60-80ml). Resene will donate all food to The Salvation Army foodbanks.
We accept all cans of food in good condition and suitable for humans to eat. If you prefer to … View moreHunger for Colour is back for 2024! Bring two cans of food into your local Resene ColorShop and swap them for one Resene testpot (60-80ml). Resene will donate all food to The Salvation Army foodbanks.
We accept all cans of food in good condition and suitable for humans to eat. If you prefer to bring in canned pet food, we can accept that also and will donate it to the SPCA and local community animal shelters.
By adding a little more colour to your life you can also help those in need.
Feeling the Summer heat? Don't let your power bill skyrocket along with the temperatures!
Check out these 10 simple tips to keep cool and save money on your power bills this season.
The Christchurch Art Show is back at Te Pae Convention Centre March 8 – 10!
Expect amazing artwork of all types, artist demonstrations, and award- winning artists at New Zealand’s largest art show. The Christchurch Art Show’s new VIP Preview event opens 8 March 5pm, the ever-popular … View moreThe Christchurch Art Show is back at Te Pae Convention Centre March 8 – 10!
Expect amazing artwork of all types, artist demonstrations, and award- winning artists at New Zealand’s largest art show. The Christchurch Art Show’s new VIP Preview event opens 8 March 5pm, the ever-popular opening night follows this at 7:30pm. Both are pre- sale catered events and opening night will sell out!
Show Days are: Sat 9th March 10am-8pm and Sun 10th March 10am - 5pm.
Come and view thousands of original quality artworks, meet the artists and view live art demonstrations. Make it a day out and enjoy The Christchurch Art Show!
Buy Christchurch Tickets (New) – ART SHOW TICKETING
Peter is helping us out with something that nearly everyone can relate to – dealing with the unsorted photos taking up space on your phone or languishing in boxes in your home.
“Without fail, when I give a talk about getting organised, I’m always asked how to deal with photos,” says … View morePeter is helping us out with something that nearly everyone can relate to – dealing with the unsorted photos taking up space on your phone or languishing in boxes in your home.
“Without fail, when I give a talk about getting organised, I’m always asked how to deal with photos,” says Peter.
Boxes of unsorted photos can feel overwhelming to organise so they often get left for many years to clutter up our houses. In addition to this, most of us have smartphones that make it easy to take photos anywhere, so pretty soon our digital photo life becomes cluttered too.
Click read more for the full article.
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There have been hundreds of wonderful entries in this year's Prospa Local Business Hero from across the country! If you haven't nominated a special local business yet, do it today.
- Got a great mechanic? Nominate them today.
- A barista who makes you smile? Nominate them today.
- … View moreThere have been hundreds of wonderful entries in this year's Prospa Local Business Hero from across the country! If you haven't nominated a special local business yet, do it today.
- Got a great mechanic? Nominate them today.
- A barista who makes you smile? Nominate them today.
- A reassuring pharmacy team? Nominate them today.
Make a small business' day today by nominating them as your Prospa Local Business Hero - and you could make their whole year (our national winner picks up an incredible $10,000 prize package!)
We're looking for delicious carrot recipes to feature in NZ Gardener's April issue. Send your family's favourite ways to eat this easy-to-grow vege crop to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by February 25, 2024. Every published recipe wins a copy of the April issue of NZ Gardener.
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