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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An increase in vexatious environmental complaints to the West Coast Regional Council has been dismissed by one councillor as 'whinging'.
The number and type of complaints reported back each month to the Resource Management Committee … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An increase in vexatious environmental complaints to the West Coast Regional Council has been dismissed by one councillor as 'whinging'.
The number and type of complaints reported back each month to the Resource Management Committee raised some comment last week when a staff reported noted 21 complaints or incidents between late April and May 26.
Planning and science manager Fiona Thomson said staff had also monitored 26 individual resource consents and investigated 21 "complaints'’.
Staff also made 12 mining compliance and bond release visits.
Committee chairperson Brett Cummings said the council seemed to be dealing with "an awful lot" of complaints at present.
Thomson said the compliance team was certainly "all hands on deck".
"It's definitely got very busy in the complaints space."
Councillor Allan Birchfield said the motive of some complainants could be characterised in the same way the leader of the Opposition had recently said - "we've become a nation of whingers and moaners".
Previous enforcement reports with "heaps of complaints" did not necessarily reflect well on the repeat complainants, he said.
"We're becoming quite pathetic actually."
Councillor Peter Haddock said vexatious complainants were certainly tying up staff time unnecessarily.
He referred to a previous example of someone's lunch rubbish left on a riverbank prompting an investigation by the council as to the point being made by Birchfield.
"A lot are unfounded and quite unfounded ... at the end of the day it costs the ratepayers."
Our June Seniors newsletter is out today. In this issue, we focus on the cost of living. We share some practical advice on how to save money on your health, home and everyday expenses plus much more.
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Dear neighbours, every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of reader recipes using a seasonal crop. This month, we're on the hunt for cauliflower recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by June 25, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the August issue of NZ Gardener.
June is upon us, so it's well and truly time to hunker down for the colder temperatures. For some across Aotearoa, this just means a second duvet on the bed. And for others, it's defrosting your car windscreen daily and bringing out the heaters.
What do you do to prepare for winter? … View moreJune is upon us, so it's well and truly time to hunker down for the colder temperatures. For some across Aotearoa, this just means a second duvet on the bed. And for others, it's defrosting your car windscreen daily and bringing out the heaters.
What do you do to prepare for winter? Share your tips for staying warm and dry, and for making the most of the chillier season.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the We Say You Say column of your local paper.
Brendon McMahon
, Local democracy reporter
The future of nine properties excluded from the Westport flood scheme is still unclear.
In the meantime, the main partner to lead the project has been told to keep quiet.
The matter was brought up by West Coast Regional Council Infrastructure … View moreBrendon McMahon
, Local democracy reporter
The future of nine properties excluded from the Westport flood scheme is still unclear.
In the meantime, the main partner to lead the project has been told to keep quiet.
The matter was brought up by West Coast Regional Council Infrastructure Governance Committee chairperson Frank Dooley, of Westport, in his report on Tuesday.
Dooley said the nearly $23 million 'support package' from the Government, announced a month ago for Westport, had been very welcome.
However, the terms and conditions with the money were "closely held" between the council chairman, chief executive and the Government.
Dooley said the money was a significant injection of capital and was appreciated by the Westport community.
It was half the amount requested in the original $56m co-funded proposal put forward last year by the council at the encouragement of the Government. That had been seen as a blueprint for future 75% to 25% flood infrastructure co-funding elsewhere in the country.
However, councillor Mark McIntyre, of Westport, said there was not universal support in the wake of the $23m Budget announcement.
"Not everyone is happy," he said.
In particular, Snodgrass Rd residents were "still left hanging" and the precedent set by the Government announcement of categoried properties in Hawke's Bay not to allow rebuilds or "red zoning" had created even more uncertainty, McIntyre said.
Dooley said the Westport funding included an obligation for the council to work with affected property owners who might be excluded.
"You and I have some work to do particularly with our Snodgrass residents, and maybe others," he said to McIntyre.
The Hawke's Bay precedent gave some clarity.
"That obligation still sits on our shoulders," Dooley said.
The criteria for the new categories would come from local government and the insurance sector working together to inform those affected, chief executive Darryl Lew said.
Auckland and Gisborne were next in line for property category announcements.
"The question then comes to what about other areas around the country; that's what the rest of the country is waiting on," Lew said.
Council chairperson Peter Haddock said the next step for the Westport project itself would be a steering group, but the details of it were confidential by a Government directive.
Lew said there was little he could tell councillors as the chairperson and himself had been bound by a confidentiality agreement.
"We have met with DIA (Department of Internal Affairs) and have been told not to share."
Brendon McMahon, Local democracy reporter
Hydrology data collected by the West Coast Regional Council underscores just how wet the month was.
However while the Hokitika and Haast rivers exceeded their 1-year annual return periods during heavy rain on May 9, high flows in the Grey and Buller … View moreBrendon McMahon, Local democracy reporter
Hydrology data collected by the West Coast Regional Council underscores just how wet the month was.
However while the Hokitika and Haast rivers exceeded their 1-year annual return periods during heavy rain on May 9, high flows in the Grey and Buller rivers further north remained below their one-year annual return, a resource science report to the Resource Management Committee on Tuesday says.
"May has been a wet month of unsettled weather for the West Coast with the Hokitika and Waiho rivers triggering four flood warning alarm responses," the staff report says.
"On average, most flows recorded were above or near median annual flows".
On May 3 the Hokitika passed the first alarm threshold of 3750mm and peaked at 3793mm; six days later on May 9 it peaked at 4411mm.
The threshold of 8000mm at the Waiho (Waiau) River at Franz Josef was passed and peaked at 8474mm on May 3; it peaked slightly lower at 8144mm on May 9.
In April the Hokitika River at the gorge measuring point, surpassed its flood alarm threshold on the 11th, with a peak of 3762mm.
By Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter
Westport air quality is being surveyed again this winter.
It follows a winter survey by the West Coast Regional Council in 2022 that found air quality in parts of the town might exceed monitoring standards.
An environmental science report to … View moreBy Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter
Westport air quality is being surveyed again this winter.
It follows a winter survey by the West Coast Regional Council in 2022 that found air quality in parts of the town might exceed monitoring standards.
An environmental science report to council's Resource Management Committee on Tuesday [June 13] says the range and number of monitoring sites has been expanded to 18 locations for the new winter survey.
"The instruments will be monitoring fine particles of particulate matter in the air (PM 2.5), which can be harmful to human health," the report says.
PM 2.5 is often associated with solid fuel burning.
"On the West Coast we generally see higher levels of particulate matter in the air over winter months due to solid fuel burning for domestic home heating."
Coal fires have traditionally been the main source of domestic heating in Westport and other West Coast towns such as Reefton and Greymouth.
However the latest monitoring project was not targeting individual emission sources but designed to show the levels and variation of PM across the town during the winter months, the report says.
This would help council identify "if there are any air quality issues" in Westport that would require further investigation.
The same survey in 2022 indicated that air quality in parts of the town may exceed monitoring standards, but it was decided to run a repeat in 2023 due to the variability of environmental and anthropogenic factors such as wind speed, air temperature and burning habits.
"Having two winters' worth of data will be more robust and provide a better, more informed understanding of Westport's air quality."
The last PM monitoring in Westport was nearly 20 years ago.
Last winter, the appearance of monitoring stations around Westport prompted some concerns about the council's motive.
Former councillor Laura Coll-McLaughlin, of Westport, noted at the council table in July that social media comment about the air quality project reflected some "mixed community sentiment".
There was also suspicion of "some ulterior motives" but it was positive the council was gaining baseline data, she said.
Environmental science staff pointed out that council was statutorily required to monitor air quality and would need to do a bigger body of work in future around that while allowing for a transition in the type of heating local people could use to keep their homes warm and dry.
The other West Coast town subject to ongoing air quality monitoring by council for years is Reefton.
It sits in an inland basin with typically still weather during winter, resulting in 'smog'.
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Worth over $1 million and built to perfection by Jennian homes, this brand new home features three bedrooms, two bathrooms and boasts a stylish open-plan kitchen, living and dining area for year-round entertainment and comfort.
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Even well-insulated homes can lose up to 45% of the room's heat without having adequate curtains. This is why Curtain Banks are in high demand at this time of year.
A petition is circulating to get curtains added as part of the Healthy Homes Standards in the hopes of helping renters avoid… View moreEven well-insulated homes can lose up to 45% of the room's heat without having adequate curtains. This is why Curtain Banks are in high demand at this time of year.
A petition is circulating to get curtains added as part of the Healthy Homes Standards in the hopes of helping renters avoid living in cold, damp conditions. Do you think curtains should be mandatory for New Zealand homes?
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the We Say You Say column of your local paper.
The skies might be grey but there's colour in our communities - and we want to see it!
Resene and Neighbourly have teamed up this winter to bring you Bright Spots - a celebration of the brightest and most colourful spaces in our neighbourhoods. We want you to snap and share all those spots… View moreThe skies might be grey but there's colour in our communities - and we want to see it!
Resene and Neighbourly have teamed up this winter to bring you Bright Spots - a celebration of the brightest and most colourful spaces in our neighbourhoods. We want you to snap and share all those spots in your neighbourhood that bring a smile to your face and add a little colour to your day.
There are 10 prizes of $250 Resene ColorShop vouchers and $250 Prezzy® cards up for grabs so you can create your own Bright Spot!
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