Environmental complaints ‘whinging’ — Coast councillor
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 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."
Time to Tickle Your Thinker 🧠
If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and two pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
-
9.5% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
-
43.4% I want to be able to choose.
-
47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Loading…
