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By local democracy reporter Lois Williams:
The West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) is going back to the drawing board to come up with a new Coastal Plan, controlling what can and can’t be done or built on the foreshore.
Regional Coastal Plans are a requirement under the RMA for all regional… View moreBy local democracy reporter Lois Williams:
The West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) is going back to the drawing board to come up with a new Coastal Plan, controlling what can and can’t be done or built on the foreshore.
Regional Coastal Plans are a requirement under the RMA for all regional authorities, to manage the coastal marine area - stretching for mean highwater springs to 12 nautical miles offshore.
They regulate the activities the council will allow in that area; they must give effect to the New Zealand Coastal Policy statement, and they must be reviewed every 10 years.
But the WCRC’s last attempt to update its Coastal Plan was never completed, mainly because of staff shortages, and parts of it are now well out of date.
Chief executive Darryl Lew asked councillors this month for approval to withdraw the old plan and start again.
“A lot of the resources of this council have been going into the Tai o Poutini (district) Plan, which we run but don’t govern and we’ve not been able to pursue our own regional plans, which are actually our work,” he said.
In the past few weeks, Regional Council staff had begun focusing on that work including the Coastal and Air Quality plans.
A staff report outlining the issues and options in a new coastal plan said the main activities needing regulation in the CMA were temporary whitebait stands, hard protection structures (seawalls), gravel and sand removal, and small-scale beach mining.
The council grants an average six or seven resource consents for activities a year and has dealt with 29 incidents involving those consents in the past four years.
Most commonly, they involved the removal of beach material within Coastal Hazards Areas, and flood protection structures.
The main concerns for iwi, consulted under the council’s Mana Whakahono agreement, were offshore seabed mining and the discharge of untreated sewage into the ocean, staff reported.
That was culturally offensive to Poutini Ngai Tahu, but the coast’s three main centres all pumped treated wastewater out to sea, and there were limited options for land-based disposal, the report noted.
The regulatory options were to require the urban sewage to be treated to a high standard, consult with iwi over resource consents, and proactively monitor those consents.
Buller councillor Frank Dooley had concerns about possible restrictions on seawalls, discouraged as ’hard protection structures’ which could cause erosion, in the national policy directive.
“We have to recognise that at times they are the only option,” he said.
Councillor Brett Cummings agreed.
“Down at Haast at the moment they’re putting in rock (defences) to protect the power poles – we don’t want to get in the way of that.”
Dooley also challenged a staff suggestion that seawalls could be treated as restricted discretionary activities in the new plan.
But the word “restricted” referred to council’s powers to regulate and was in fact favourable to the applicant, the chief executive explained.
“With these plans, you are the governors, and you have a chance to say what you want in them. I would urge you to get involved in the workshops and you will end up with the plans you want,” Lew said.
Councillors voted unanimously to withdraw the old unfinished Coastal Plan and start work on the new one.
The council is aiming to begin consultation with stakeholders next month, and have the plan notified and out for public submissions in early 2026.
*LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Our residents and their families have spoken loud and clear: Ryman is their top choice in retirement living.
We’re proud to be recognised by Canstar Blue for having the Most Satisfied Customers, which complements our tenth win of Reader’s Digest’s Most Trusted Brand.
As we celebrate … View moreOur residents and their families have spoken loud and clear: Ryman is their top choice in retirement living.
We’re proud to be recognised by Canstar Blue for having the Most Satisfied Customers, which complements our tenth win of Reader’s Digest’s Most Trusted Brand.
As we celebrate 40 years since opening our first village, these recognitions reinforce Ryman’s commitment to exceptional care and excellence in retirement living.
Click find out more for more information.
By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter
West Coasters will be topping up government coffers by at least $10 million this year, when they pay their council rates.
The GST component of rate bills nationally soared to $1.1 billion in the last analysis of data from councils around the country … View moreBy Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter
West Coasters will be topping up government coffers by at least $10 million this year, when they pay their council rates.
The GST component of rate bills nationally soared to $1.1 billion in the last analysis of data from councils around the country in 2022, by the economics consultancy firm Infometrics.
And principal economist Brad Olsen (pictured) says that figure will only increase this year as councils sign off on annual plans tackling pricey infrastructure deficits.
“We feel charging GST on rates is still appropriate because councils do supply goods and services. But we come back to the fact that a lot of councils are struggling to provide those services because their only significant source of income is rates.”
In 2022, the government clipped the rates ticket to the tune of nearly $9 million on the West Coast.
Grey District Council paid $3million in GST; Westland $2.3m; Buller $2.4m and the West Coast Regional Council, $1.2 million.
This year the Regional Council figure will be more than $1.8m – a sum that could have filled some gnarly financial potholes, chairperson Peter Haddock said.
“We had emergency flood protection work in Westport that we had to raid our catastrophe fund for and we’re still short of a million for that.
"We’ve got ratepayers struggling to come up with their share for stop banks in Franz Josef; if even part of the GST could come back to us it would help, but we could do a lot with $1.8 million.”
Westland mayor Helen Lash says her council will be handing the government $3.3 million this year, in GST.
Getting the money back would be a game changer for the district’s ratepayers, she says.
“We would use it for core services – the ones we can’t afford to fund now, like footpaths and roading, and we could put it towards capital upgrades of wastewater treatment.
"It would make a hell of a difference for Westland.”
Instead, councils are being invited to bid for a share of the government’s new $1.2 billion regional infrastructure fund, with just five regions or cities being selected in the first wave of long-term regional deals.
The amount, at least, is in line with the conclusions of the independent ‘Future for Local Government’ review panel, which last year recommended an annual transfer of funds from central to local government, equivalent to the GST paid by councils.
The former chairperson of Local Government NZ, Stuart Crosby, said the history of who pays for what when it comes to infrastructure is instructive - and often forgotten.
Now a Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor, his memories of the changes go back to 1986, when he first stood for election.
“We’ve submitted remit after remit on the return of GST on rates over the years from Local Government conferences, that this tax-on-a tax is unfair."
Before the 1989 local government reforms, the Government made large capital grants to councils for water works, roading and other activities and Catchment Boards, responsible for flood protection, were subsidised by up to 70 percent.
“It was critical funding. But all that went after 1989, except for Transport and it’s taken more than 30 years to catch up.”
The quid pro quo for funding infrastructure was that government entities did not pay rates, Crosby said.
But as the subsidies disappeared the government retained its rate-free status.
“The tradeoff back in the day, was that Government departments didn’t pay rates or development fees on new schools and hospitals and very low service rates on existing buildings.
“That was in recognition of the infrastructure subsidies but that all stopped and now we have these problems we see with water and so on and they still don’t pay rates.”
Crosby said the rebate of GST would be a first step in resolving the yawning gap that has developed between what councils must fund, often by Government decree, and what their ratepayers can afford.
But the question of whether government departments should now be paying rates should also be revisited, he says.
On the West Coast, where the Conservation Department owns nearly 90 percent of the land and there are only 20,000 rateable properties, the ability to rate the Crown would transform council finances overnight, the regions’ councils say.
The counter-argument has been that the Coast’s vast areas of mountain and native forest receive no council services and cost councils nothing.
But that does not bear scrutiny, Crosby said.
“Water comes off that land into rivers the councils have to manage, so whether its DOC or developed land. Those lands have an impact and they should be rated to make a contribution to the protection that’s needed downstream for homes and businesses.”
The chances of persuading the Government to become a ratepayer is not overly high he concedes.
“But the stress councils are under has been building for decades and every government needs functional local government to carry out national strategies.
“If it’s fragile that becomes a problem – not just for councils but for the Government itself.”
The Government has previously signalled it would consider sharing a portion of GST collected on new residential builds with councils, but not the sharing GST on rates.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has been approached for comment.
In August, Brown said councils must focus on the must-haves, not the nice-to-haves, to reduce costs.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Maori Language Week) is upon us and we always love to get involved.
Add your vote to the poll and share a phrase in te Reo Māori below to be in to win a $25 Prezzy card.
Have you introduced yourself on the Know Thy Neighbour page?
Join our Know Thy Neighbour campaign by introducing yourself and sharing what makes you unique. Do you have a hobby you're passionate about? A favourite spot in your suburb? Or just looking to connect with friendly faces nearby? … View moreHave you introduced yourself on the Know Thy Neighbour page?
Join our Know Thy Neighbour campaign by introducing yourself and sharing what makes you unique. Do you have a hobby you're passionate about? A favourite spot in your suburb? Or just looking to connect with friendly faces nearby? 😊
Let’s build stronger connections in our community, one introduction at a time. 🏡
👉 Post about yourself today and meet neighbours with shared interests. Head here.
On Tuesday 12 November, the Prime Minister will deliver a public apology to survivors of abuse in care in Parliament.
You can register your interest to attend the event in Parliament, or if you want to watch it with friends, whānau or a support person you can attend an event at the Due Drops … View moreOn Tuesday 12 November, the Prime Minister will deliver a public apology to survivors of abuse in care in Parliament.
You can register your interest to attend the event in Parliament, or if you want to watch it with friends, whānau or a support person you can attend an event at the Due Drops Event Centre in Auckland, Shed 6 in Wellington or the Christchurch Town Hall.
Contact the Crown Response Unit today:
Phone: 0800 717 017 (8:30am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday)
Email: contact@abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz
Registration closes 4.30pm Monday 30 September.
Accommodation, travel and food costs will be covered. Travel assistance will be provided in forms of air travel, petrol vouchers, gift cards, and train, and bus tickets.
This year Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week, is being held from September 16 to 23. It’s an important week encouraging all of Aotearoa to use te reo Māori in everyday life. Similarly, Mahuru Māori promotes speaking and celebrating te reo throughout the month of September.
Over … View moreThis year Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week, is being held from September 16 to 23. It’s an important week encouraging all of Aotearoa to use te reo Māori in everyday life. Similarly, Mahuru Māori promotes speaking and celebrating te reo throughout the month of September.
Over the last couple of years, Gerda, a resident at Diana Isaac Village in Christchurch, has grown her Māori vocabulary by attending the virtual monthly te reo Māori classes offered to Ryman residents. This group learning environment is run by Anita Gill from Te Puna Reo Māori, a Māori online learning provider.
Click read more for the full story.
Luckily self-checkout is pretty common in supermarkets these days and we generally use it to quickly buy a few things without the long lines. But perhaps it's appropriate to head there with your full trolley to skip the lines?
What are your thoughts? Is that rude?
Share in the comments … View moreLuckily self-checkout is pretty common in supermarkets these days and we generally use it to quickly buy a few things without the long lines. But perhaps it's appropriate to head there with your full trolley to skip the lines?
What are your thoughts? Is that rude?
Share in the comments below if this has ever happened to you.
Police are aware of a recent overseas rise in scams which involve an unexpected package being sent to addresses with a gift and a QR code inside. Police believe this scamming method could find its way to New Zealand and we are urging people to be vigilant.
The gift will have the recipients … View morePolice are aware of a recent overseas rise in scams which involve an unexpected package being sent to addresses with a gift and a QR code inside. Police believe this scamming method could find its way to New Zealand and we are urging people to be vigilant.
The gift will have the recipients address, but not include the sender's information or be from a known retailer. When the recipient opens the package to see what it is and possibly who sent it, there is a QR code to scan to find out who sent the gift.
The QR code allows the offenders to then access any and all data on your phone or device you used to scan the code, including financial information such as your bank account login details, and personal data.
Police are urging anyone who receives one of these gifts not to scan the QR code, the gift can either be kept or discarded, but do not scan the QR code.
Please report information to Police online at www.police.govt.nz... or call Police on 105.
Longer days and warmer weather are fast approaching!
Make the most of your Sundays with a subscription to the Sunday Star-Times. From just $51, enjoy gripping investigations, in-depth analysis, and exclusive subscriber rewards. Plus, for September only, receive a free Antipodes Supernatural … View moreLonger days and warmer weather are fast approaching!
Make the most of your Sundays with a subscription to the Sunday Star-Times. From just $51, enjoy gripping investigations, in-depth analysis, and exclusive subscriber rewards. Plus, for September only, receive a free Antipodes Supernatural SPF50+ Ceramide Silk Facial Sunscreen worth over $60.
Don't miss out on this unbeatable offer—subscribe today! *Print T&Cs apply.
Kia ora neighbours,
In our September mag, Amy Roberts from Villaleigh Plants has a list of her favourite blooms for long display. "If you want a long season, look beyond the flowers," is her advice. Here are her picks: Geranium phaeum 'Mourning Widow', Salvia leucantha, … View moreKia ora neighbours,
In our September mag, Amy Roberts from Villaleigh Plants has a list of her favourite blooms for long display. "If you want a long season, look beyond the flowers," is her advice. Here are her picks: Geranium phaeum 'Mourning Widow', Salvia leucantha, Hylotelephium 'Autumn Joy' (pictured), Eryngium pandanifolium and Alchemilla mollis.
Have you got them in your garden? In fact, we'd love to see what you've got in bloom now. Post a photo and share the joy!
Create your very own mini Jurassic Park with this easy-to-make potted dinosaur garden. Rejuvenate old dinosaur toys that have faded with Resene testpots to help them keep looking good in the harsh sunlight.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
Continuing with Neighbourly's online Q&A with experts in their field, this week we are tackling online safety with Jandy Fiske from Netsafe.
Jandy Fiske has been with Netsafe for nearly 8 years. Starting on their helpline, she's now Netsafe's Community Engagement Advisor. … View moreContinuing with Neighbourly's online Q&A with experts in their field, this week we are tackling online safety with Jandy Fiske from Netsafe.
Jandy Fiske has been with Netsafe for nearly 8 years. Starting on their helpline, she's now Netsafe's Community Engagement Advisor. Jandy says: 'I'm passionate about online safety because I strongly oppose bullying and want to support those affected by it.'
Jandy is passionate about protecting vulnerable communities and is promoting online safety to ensure no one falls prey to online scams. She can answer your questions about any type of online scams, and also about online harm such as online bullying.
↓ Ask your question below now and she'll be online on Wednesday, 11th September to reply to you ↓
By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporting
It has been the elephant in the room for months. A looming presence discussed nervously only behind closed doors.
But the possibility of council amalgamation on the West Coast- otherwise known as local government reform – has surfaced publicly … View moreBy Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporting
It has been the elephant in the room for months. A looming presence discussed nervously only behind closed doors.
But the possibility of council amalgamation on the West Coast- otherwise known as local government reform – has surfaced publicly this week at a West Coast Regional Council meeting.
The ‘A’ word itself was delicately avoided.
But the council believes reform will be needed, if the Coast is to mount a successful bid for one of the Government’s new ‘regional deals’.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced a framework for co-funding agreements to boost regional economies, with a focus on critical infrastructure and housing.
The benefits could include access to new mining royalties, and a share of tourism levies.
But the deals will be by invitation only; provinces will have to show they are committed to a 30-year spatial plan and only five will be chosen for the first round.
Regional council adviser Freya Love told the meeting the process would be highly competitive, with government making the decision on which regions were ready to engage.
“Darryl (chief executive Darryl Lew, pictured) has described it as a beauty contest, where all the regions pitch up and say "we’re they’re ready to engage." I would align it more like the Hunger Games ... which of us is correct remains to be seen but it is not a given.”
Lew said the West Coast was better placed than many regions to show it could lift its GDP with a regional deal but would need to do some ‘corrective’ work to position itself first.
Love said for a successful bid, Coast councils would need to show consensus and pitch a coherent framework to the government.
“They talk about the quality of governance in the region and they’re looking for a unified voice.”
Buller councillor Frank Dooley said ratepayers were concerned about the sustainability of the current local government model on the West Coast.
The region, with a population of about 31,000, has three district councils, in Buller, Grey and Westland, as well as the Regional Council.
“I think we have to be proactive and signal to the government we’re ready to go and we need to progress this very quickly. We have to front-foot it.”
Council chairperson Peter Haddock said he would like the approval of councillors to raise the options for reforms that would result in savings for ratepayers, at a meeting next week of Coast mayors and chairs.
Councillor Peter Ewen said the Regional Council had first raised the idea of more collaboration between councils 12 months ago.
“We lead this; we’ve got the capacity; the District Councils are fiscally challenged at the moment, their CEO’s have changed … they’re looking after their patch and a bit fearful of where this may go.”
In the future there was going to be on regional body, and if councils did not reform themselves, the government would do it for them, Ewen said.
The West Coast was too small in numbers to be split in three, and the Regional Council now had the capability and the staff to lead discussions on reform.
Councillor Brett Cummings said there had to be a unified bid for a regional deal
“We need to drag the other councils along - kicking and squealing - if we want to be part of this. A lot of what holds us is infrastructure, bridges.”
Dooley came up with a series of recommendations.
In summary – that the Regional Council engage with the government on the regional deal process, acknowledge the concerns of ratepayers about costs, and commit to local government reform.
Councils and iwi together should come up with an acceptable model for local government for the region, Dooley recommended.
The motion was passed unanimously.
Haddock said the community wanted to see progress to reduce the burden on ratepayers
“But let’s not predetermine what that should look like … we’ll meet with mayors, chairs and iwi to agree an approach to establishing acceptable local government reform for the West Coast Region.”
*LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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