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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A "moderate flood" in the Wanganui River was today running through farms near Harihari, just two days after the West Coast Regional Council received a strong warning from locals at a stormy on-site meeting.
The river pushed through a … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A "moderate flood" in the Wanganui River was today running through farms near Harihari, just two days after the West Coast Regional Council received a strong warning from locals at a stormy on-site meeting.
The river pushed through a hole in the stopbank on the north side, on the edge of the leasehold farm of Bernard Walkington at Evans Creek.
Walkington estimated about 100ha of his farm was affected this morning.
The river was also flowing through the farm of his downstream neighbour, dairy farmer and West Coast Regional councillor Andy Campbell, whose land adjoins Lake Ianthe.
Walkington said it was only a moderate event after heavy rain yesterday, but the effect on his farm was "really bad".
The regional council does not measure the Wanganui River but the headwaters of the Whataroa River, about 35km south, received 79mm in the 24 hours until 10.30am today.
Walkington said he feared the worst once the floodwaters had receded, expecting to see a trail of silt, gravel and crushed fences.
It came about because the regional council had "failed them" on fixing the stopbank damaged by flooding at Waitangi Weekend.
By this morning the hole in the stopbank looked to have widened from about 90m to between 200 and 300m, he said.
"The engineer came down on February 6 and stated that job was top priority and needed to be fixed immediately. Four weeks later and it's still sitting there," Walkington said.
"Someone from council needs to be accountable for the loss of land and income. Someone obviously has said 'no, we're not fixing it'."
From what he could see today, quite a bit of the river's main channel was flowing across the lower part of his farm and into the Campbell property.
While facing a substantial loss to his milk cheque, the property owner and the Campbells would really be "hit in the pocket" to restore the pasture.
Walkington said there appeared to have been substantial loss to pasture, fence and stockwater lines on his farm, with shingle and other debris washed through.
It would have to be managed carefully with over 800 head of stock on the farm.
"No use crying over spilt milk now but it is a bit of a devastating event for us and our neighbours."
He had heard that council engineering staff were on their way to Hari Hari this morning.
While it had stopped raining it was "fingers crossed" the headwaters were not receiving more rain.
Campbell was meeting with council staff when approached for comment this morning.
Acting chairperson Peter Haddock said he was "really disappointed" at what had now happened.
He understood from Campbell the river had run through but his property but may not have scoured.
Haddock said the council had ordered emergency repairs on the south bank since Tuesday and had a contractor engaged to fix the north bank.
Wanganui River rating district member Mary Molloy said the overnight event was "entirely predictable".
A month of unprecedented low flows since the Waitangi Weekend flood meant it was only a matter of time, she said.
"It could've happened any time in that month period. It is very irresponsible of the regional council -- for whatever reason."
Molloy slated it back to the council, which had "stopped our rating scheme from working properly".
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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An application has been lodged to divert the Waiho (Waiau) River at Franz Josef as part of the stalled $12.5 million north bank flood protection scheme.
The West Coast Regional Council is applying to itself for the temporary diversion of the … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An application has been lodged to divert the Waiho (Waiau) River at Franz Josef as part of the stalled $12.5 million north bank flood protection scheme.
The West Coast Regional Council is applying to itself for the temporary diversion of the river from below the State Highway 6 bridge to the glacial moraine, where the Waiho and Tatare riverbeds converge.
“The proposed diversion is to allow gravel extraction, and stopbank construction ... in dry riverbed and to prevent any potential scour of temporary works during the construction phase,” consultant Davis Ogilvie says on behalf of the council.
The applications relate to two separate flood protection works under the stage one north bank scheme: the Franz Josef stopbank and the Tatare River stopbank.
The application notes that the Waiho riverbed has been aggrading at 18cm a year in recent decades.
Flood protection improvement was deemed a priority following the 2016 flood causing after it caused $30m of damage. In March 2019 the state highway bridge was swept away following 400mm of rain was also a factor.
“A $24m package was approved by the Government in July 2020, as part of the Covid-19 economic stimulus package. The work included $18m for rock embankments on the north and south banks, and $3.8m to raise the level of the highway bridge.”
The regional council let a contract to Greymouth contractor MBD for the north bank work nearly a year ago.
The proposed river diversion is from the bridge down past the township and beyond the Westland District Council's wastewater treatment plant.
Temporary diversion of water for up to two years within the bed of the Waiho River is also sought.
The main project is currently stalled after the regional council failed to get affected party approval from the Scenic Circle Hotel Group.
In the latest application the three affected parties identified are the Department of Conservation (DOC), Fish and Game, and Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio.
DOC had already responded it had no concerns apart from the unprotected bank on the south side of the river below Canavans Knob.
DOC said the unprotected bank below Canavans had been “a real safety issue” for property and life in a number of recent floods.
“If the river is trained away from the north — then the probability of it being more likely to impact this bank is increased.”
The department said it would like to see armouring put in place and the Canavans stopbank upgraded significantly to mitigate the risk prior to the river diversion/training.
“This isn't so much a conservation concern as a community and Civil Defence issue,” DOC said.
Davis Ogilvie notes consent for the north bank scheme was independently lodged on March 3 last year and was currently on hold.
Likewise, an application for gravel extraction associated with the stopbanks construction had been independently lodged last month but was also on hold.
Consent to disturb the bed and banks of the Waiho River to the Tatare stopbank was granted in October 2022 along with a discharge consent for incidental sediment into the Waiho River from the Tatare stopbank construction.
Land use consent had already been sought to raise all existing flood protection banks on the north side by 2m, along with consent to extract gravel from the dry riverbed for raising the existing stopbanks and extending them.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A total of 534 public submissions were received for the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP), a combined district plan for the West Coast.
TTPP project manager Jo Armstrong updated the committee last week, noting that about 20 late submissions … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A total of 534 public submissions were received for the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP), a combined district plan for the West Coast.
TTPP project manager Jo Armstrong updated the committee last week, noting that about 20 late submissions which had been accepted by the chairperson.
So far 427 submissions had been summarised, with hearings to be held later in the year.
With over 100 submissions yet to
be summarised some delay was expected in completing the
submissions summary for the committee due to the availability of
the principal planner, who was
affected by the Hawke's Bay cyclone damage.
"I think there is a likelihood in light of having lost (time with) our
principal planner due to Cyclone Gabrielle that we will not have a summary by March 30."
Former West Coast Regional Council planning and science manager Rachel Vaughan had been engaged in the meantime.
Armstrong said the submissions yet to be summarised covered a broad spectrum of the plan, and some represented large organisations or groups.
Natural hazard rules and maps attracted nearly 100 submissions while there had been 185 rezoning requests — mainly related to the intersection of rural zones and other areas.
This was "not unexpected at all" given the amount of land rezoned under the proposed plan.
Armstrong suggested prehearing meetings with those submitters
would be a way of managing that workload.
She said there was also a lot of support for the plan.
Sites and areas of significance to Maori drew more than 55 submissions, and historic heritage 25.
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With universities starting up last week, so brings first-time flatters trying their hand at cooking for the first time. In 2020, 27% of a household’s weekly budget was spent on takeaways so it’s no wonder that cooking is becoming a bit of a lost art.
Alongside sewing and knitting, what other … View moreWith universities starting up last week, so brings first-time flatters trying their hand at cooking for the first time. In 2020, 27% of a household’s weekly budget was spent on takeaways so it’s no wonder that cooking is becoming a bit of a lost art.
Alongside sewing and knitting, what other vital skills do you think are at risk of being lost?
Share your thoughts below for the We Say You Say column in the local paper - write NFP if you want your comments excluded.
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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Addressing the critical flood risk to Hokitika township by raising the Hokitika River stopbank is at the "top of the priority list" for the West Coast Regional Council.
It hopes to tender the project in about six weeks and hopes to … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Addressing the critical flood risk to Hokitika township by raising the Hokitika River stopbank is at the "top of the priority list" for the West Coast Regional Council.
It hopes to tender the project in about six weeks and hopes to present the scope of the latest project to a meeting of the Hokitika joint floodwall district within a month, regional council acting chairperson Peter Haddock said on Thursday.
Meanwhile they were liaising with Westland District Council (WDC) over its stormwater pipe through the existing bank off Townbelt East.
"Council have been working closely with the WDC because the WDC put some pipes under the existing stopbank there and the wall is slightly lower now than what it was originally," Haddock said.
The top of the bank at the WDC outfall point was now a worry as the main channel of the river was increasingly turning towards the channel behind Westland Milk Products and would be compromised.
The river had already been within 400ml of topping the bank at that point in a previous flood, Haddock said.
"We're trying to work in with WDC to make sure they do the reinstatement work there. We have put the pressure on them to get something resolved," he said.
WDC chief executive Simon Bastion said on Thursday that the stormwater project was not finished yet.
"The outfall position will not change. We are awaiting the final design of the protection works from WCRC," he said.
Haddock said work on finalising the broader river protection work along the bank from Hokitika Bridge to WMP "is progressing well".
The council was hoping to go to tender within two months although it would need to be presented in a meeting of the joint rating district first.
It was very cognizant of what was at stake for the community and the West Coast dairy industry - as had been highlighted recently by veteran dairy farmer and former Grey District councillor Alan Berry when he fronted council and warned of the consequences of an ‘old man’ flood.
"Council are all over the project. It has been given real high priority because of that risk. That is at the top of the council's priority list,” Haddock said.
“That's a very high risk: everyone is concerned about that."
Haddock said they hoped to have firm figures before the next full council meeting in a fortnight and to go to a meeting of the joint Hokitika rating district this month.
"We're hoping to be out for tender in the next six weeks."
The money previously allocated to council under the Government's shovel ready scheme for extension of the Hokitika seawall had now been reallocated by the infrastrucutre division of MBIE, Kanoa, after it agreed the river protection was more urgent.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
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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 … View moreBy 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.
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