West Coast Regional Council’s $165k severance bill
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) made severance payments totalling $165,416, its annual report reveals.
The draft report states the payment was made to one employee, but chair Peter Haddock said on Tuesday that was an error and there were two staff paid out in that period.
One was former chief executive, Heather Mabin (pictured), who negotiated a settlement with the council.
She left the council in June 2023, after completing her contract.
In the previous year, the WCRC paid out $258,645 in a severance settlement, which LDR understands was made to one female employee.
The council’s draft annual report will be out on time this year – unlike its 2022 effort, an achievement chief executive Darryl Lew said was down to the fact that the council now had a full muster of well-qualified finance staff.
However, the council’s annual rate strike has been delayed.
The rates were to be struck at its monthly meeting yesterday, but chairperson Peter Haddock said he had taken the item off the agenda because he was not sure the figures were water-tight.
The council has 23 special rating districts, based on river catchments from Haast to Westport, and each district must decide on a works programme and what landowners are willing to pay for in a given year.
“Last year we had a rate strike and it was incorrect, and we had to retract and it was chaos for three months. Grey District have just done a rate strike and it was incorrect and they’ve had to change it.
“I want to be crystal clear that ours is correct,” Haddock said.
He and council staff had been working away on the rating district figures right up until the night before the meeting, he said.
“I said, 'I still don’t think we’ve got it right' – I’m going to delay it for a couple of weeks because we don’t actually have to set rates until September.
The council has adopted a new 10-year-plan that sets out rate increases of 27% this year, 12 percent next year, and increases of about 7% in subsequent years.
Haddock said on Tuesday the increases were significant but the council had been keeping the rates unrealistically low in previous years and was now in catch-up mode.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.7% Second half of November
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43.6% 1st December
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17.4% A week before Christmas
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33.2% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
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