Westport harbour fuel spill still being investigated
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An alleged fuel spill of thousands of litres of fuel oil into Westport's harbour is being investigated, with officials seeking more information as accusations fly.
The Kings Birthday Weekend incident, on June 1, saw West Coast authorities spring into action to contain the slick after a troubled fishing boat limped into port.
The boat was apparently taking on water while also leaking fuel oil, via an internal bilge pump.
The port set up some booms to contain the spill while staff, working with a regional environmental response team, undertook a cleanup by suctioning about 2500 litres of fuel mixed with seawater into containers.
A further inspection on June 2 found about 200 litres of fuel residue lingering within the harbour basin.
On June 4, the West Coast Regional Council-- which has environmental oversight for the region's waterways - said the impact looked worse than it was.
The incident sparked social media outrage with people expressing outrage at the "f...ing disgusting" spill.
West Coast Regional Council compliance manager Chris Barnes said on Monday (June 17) he had decided to continue an environmental
investigation into the incident because what had occurred was not really clear cut.
"I want more information," he said.
"There's some accusations that came out I don't believe were true - but there is a bit more that doesn't meet the eye."
He expected an update with more information within council's quarterly environmental monitoring report early in July.
Meanwhile, the council was called out about 4am on Monday to a potential environmental incident about 25km southwest of Westport.
It followed a vehicle crash on State Highway 6 in the vicinity of Costellos Hill, about 5km north of Charleston.
A car towing a trailer had come to grief after apparently losing control.
The front part of the vehicle was left suspended over a waterway.
Barnes said a member of the public who called it in was concerned about oil leaking from the vehicle going into a creek.
Fortunately the vehicle's occupants escaped unscathed but the scene looked "pretty nasty", he said.
An assessment at the scene ruled out any major impact on the waterway, he said.
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Poll: Is it still rude to wear a hat inside?
Times have changed and perhaps so has our societal rules around taking off hats when indoors. What are your thoughts?
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73.8% Yes, take them off indoors
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25% No, it's not anymore
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1.2% Other - I'll share below
Coast council accepts 27% rates rise — one of the highest in the country
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council today adopted its new 10-year plan and with it a 27% rates rise in the first year.
In 2023 council ratified a 16.4% general increase and under its 2024-34 long-term plan projects a 12% increase in 2025-26, followed by rates increases annually of no more than 7%.
Council chairperson Peter Haddock prefaced proceedings on June 25 by noting "eight long workshops" from April 2023. They were to set the LTP consultation document before the draft was released for public scrutiny in April.
It attracted just 25 submissions.
The council voted on Tuesday, six to one, to adopt the LTP including the rates increase.
However, the formal rates setting has been delayed for the latest rating valuation for Westland district, the outcome of the annual Greymouth Floodwall meeting, and confirmation of regional flood assets values.
Disaffected former chairperson Allan Birchfield was the sole dissenter.
He said the council, with its return to inhouse capacity - away from a reliance on external contractors - was "getting too big".
Staff numbers are up to about 80 full-time equivalent this year from about 60 in previous years.
"I think we've increased too much in size.
"I think council needs to restructure downwards," Birchfield said.
In response, Haddock asked Birchfield how many workshops he had contributed his time to develop the LTP.
"None," Birchfield replied.
Birchfield also defended his absence from the LTP submissions hearing last month due to surgery.
Rebuilding in-house capability by lessoning the council's reliance on consultants as it embarks on major flood work across the region was an underlying focus in the new plan.
But councillor Brett Cummings also sounded a warning:
The council had to consider when "the tap of Government money is turned off", he said.
It risked being left bearing full-time employees costing "$300,000 a year" - the equivalent of the consultants council sought to avoid.
Cummings said the true cost of returning inhouse needed to be transparent for all to see.
"That's what people are going to be asking me. (Otherwise) it's like Shane Jones - it's all puff and wind," Cummings said.
Chief executive Darryl Lew said the 10-year plan formal start on July 1 marked a revitalised staff with a full leadership team for the first time in years.
The organisation had been "realigned" in anticipation of that.
"This plan positions itself to tackle those (challenges) for our community," Lew said.
"I'm particularly pleased that we have developed a financial strategy over the next 10 years that sees us return to surplus in year four."
New internal investment was gratifying to see including a full inhouse engineering team, Lew said.
Risk and Assurance chairperson Frank Dooley said the past 12 months signified a major turn for council with the LTP an example of what "has been achieved".
He said he felt like "clapping" for Lew.
"I think we owe a debt of gratitude to our CEO. He walked in here just on 12 months ago to a broken organisation," Dooley said.
"I'm excited as a councillor where we've come from 18 months ago to where we are today."
Haddock said council had "rebuilt a broken entity".
It could now achieve significant community outcomes, including the $22.9m flood resilience scheme for Westport.
While Birchfield questioned the 27% increase, Dooley was "impressed with the level of information" council had in order to ratify the LTP.
"Councillors who have participated in the eight or nine workshops are fully conversant today," he said.
Acting corporate services manager Aaron Prendergast confirmed a 27% increase in both the Uniform Annual General Charge and the general "rates requirement".
Councillor Peter Ewen said council had faced other significant pressures aside from lack of staff including external cost impositions due to new central government policies.
"The reset we've done is facing that reality," he said.
"As far as having too many staff, being top heavy, going back in-house is one way of doing it. You can't have it both ways."
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