Gabrielle Govt spending reorder: West Coast schemes still ‘on track’
From Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter:
West Coast leaders say planned flood protection schemes at Westport and Franz Josef will not lose out, despite the Government reprioritising spending in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle in the North Island.
West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor said the two projects were "still on track" for the Government to come to the party.
The scale of the North Island event did not lessen the need for proposed $56 million co-funded Westport scheme or the $24 million Waiho (Waiau) River scheme, he said.
However, the Government was being careful to ensure the best value for money.
"We have just got to make sure [the West Coast schemes] are long-term solutions. Nothing can be guaranteed in today's world or bigger events," O'Connor said.
"We've got to have reasonably good idea that the spend is a good spend.
"When mud is to the roof of houses and infrastructure is totally destroyed is pretty confronting, nonetheless flooding on the Waiho has had impact."
Cyclone Gabrielle had simply reinforced the need for better community resilience and local authorities needed to take their role in that seriously, he said.
West Coast Regional Council acting chairperson Peter Haddock acknowledged the Government would have to reprioritise after the cyclone.
"I would hope they would reprioritise other spending towards resilience. I believe it reinforces our case - we need to spend to protect," he said.
"On the other side, if you want to look at moving Westport (township), the cost is phenomenal."
The Westport business case would be cheaper than moving the town or another flood in the short term.
Haddock said it looked like the greatest damage in the cyclone had been where protection banks were not been fit for purpose.
"It just reinforces the fact that we need to continue to have these protection schemes," he said.
"I would hope that the Government will prioritise the protection of land behind vulnerable areas.
"I know they're going to be short of money ... however the cost is only going to rise."
Buller mayor Jamie Cliene argued Cyclone Gabrielle would only reinforce Westport's case, which was mooted by the Government as the pilot for co-funded solutions elsewhere.
While an intergenerational approach to ensure the viability of large town like Westport was needed, the cost of "another flood tomorrow" had to be weighed including the risk of insurance companies walking away, he said.
"In my view I don't think it harms our case. If anything it legitimises the need for this community, and [those] in the North Island, to have to step through the process that Buller has done."
The Government might also now take a harder line on the Westport case now and say "it doesn't go far enough".
"I wouldn't think the Government would walk away from communities," Cleine said.
* Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
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A reminder this hunting season
As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.
Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.
Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”
Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.
The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”
Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?
“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.
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