New West Coast plan cost ‘north of $5m’

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

The cost of implementing the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan is set to cost "north of $5 million" before it is finalised.

And a further envoy to the Government is on the cards over West Coast ratepayers having to pay for their new 'one district plan' for Buller, Grey and Westland.

The plan is a 'test case' of the Government's Resource Management Act reforms, which propose 17 new regional plans instead of having dozens of district plans.

The cost was again raised at the TTPP committee meeting in Westport on Tuesday.

West Coast Regional Council chief executive Heather Mabin said Environment Minister David Parker had refused to help with implementation costs when last approached in October.

The plan came out of a 2019 Order in Council after the Local Government Commission declined a petition to amalgamate councils on the West Coast and instead ruled that their district plans should be combined. The order also put it on the regional council to rate for the costs of developing the plan.

Apart from an initial $250,000 contribution from the Government, the council has either rated or had to borrow for the costs to date. By the end of January, borrowing so far amounted to nearly $1m.

TTPP chairperson Rex Williams said there was quite a bit of work to come, including public hearings of submissions.

Appeals to the Environment Court are also likely.

Committee alternate member councillor Frank Dooley said it would be a question of whether the regional council borrowed or increased rates to cover the cost of developing the plan.

"We haven't had that discussion yet," he said.

Iwi representative Paul Madgwick said as the process forged ahead the costs were exploding.

"Three and a half years down the track it now becomes fully apparent this is going to cost us north of $5m.

"I find it appalling we got the princely sum of $250,000 from the Government and the rest has to be shouldered by the ratepayers."

Regional council deputy chairperson Peter Haddock said it was "quite a burden" on the region's tiny rating base.

"This was foisted on us by the Government ... We should be trying to get some money back," Haddock said.

Westland mayor Helen Lash concurred: "We can't shunt this back on to ratepayers".

Dooley agreed the impact was escalating. "I think it is only appropriate that we get together and make a submission."

Williams noted two submissions about the cost had already been put to the Government.

Mabin said Parker's response to the latest request for help was "thank you very much, but no".

Dooley said another approach to the Government was needed.

Madgwick noted it was all very well for the minister to dismiss the region in a letter, "but it wouldn't be so easy for him to dismiss a West Coast delegation".

"We're a guinea pig here for RMA reform. Get on a plane and hop up to Wellington and bang on his door, or Chippie's (Chris Hipkin's) door."

The meeting generally agreed raising a delegation should be decided by the West Coast Mayors and Chairs Forum, once the TTPP budget had been clarified in the next eight weeks.

The hearings, which will get under way later this year, are expected to bring substantial costs into next year.

"Judging by other councils' experiences, TTPP can expect to pay up to $1m on commissioner fees, planning consultants and expert witnesses over a 12-month period," a staff report said.

This did not include dealing with contentious issues at the hearing stage, requiring further costly planner and expert research.

* Disclosure: Te Runanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick is also the editor of the Greymouth Star. He took no part in the commissioning, writing or editing of this LDR story.

*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.