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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council's annual for 2021-22 shows a deficit of $1.1 million.
The council collected $8.16m in rates, while total revenue was just over $17.7m.
The report period covers a rocky time at the council, marked by … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council's annual for 2021-22 shows a deficit of $1.1 million.
The council collected $8.16m in rates, while total revenue was just over $17.7m.
The report period covers a rocky time at the council, marked by ructions between governance and management through much of 2021.
In the end it saw the exit of short-time chief executive Vin Smith and the transition to current chief exeuctive Heather Mabin. At the same time, natural disasters occurred including the July 2021 Westport flood, with increased call for new flood infrastructure.
It has also had to finalise the new combined Te Tai o Poutini Plan, and accommodate a raft of legislative changes and submissions.
The annual report notes the yet to be resolved $30m claim against the council by the Scenic Circle Hotel Group relating to the March 2016 Waiho (Waiau) River flood which swept through the former Mueller Wing, just north of Franz Josef Glacier township.
The council paid its employees $6.2m in 2021-22 compared to $6.4m the previous year. Elected representatives total remuneration was $401,237.
Consultant and contractor costs rose by more than $860,000 to $3.98m, compared to $3.12m.
Mabin said on Thursday that most of that cost was related to infrastructure/construction projects the council was undertaking on behalf, and VCS pest control operations - which were outside the normal operational functions of council.
"That is not consultants we have come in here," she said.
It was an audit requirement that any service the council sought externally, such as an archive project being undertaken by Development West Coast, "must have a contract".
Mabin said internal staff cover via consultant/contractor use for operational matters had been a "very low spend" in the period.
Aircraft hire totalling $2.6m was entirely related to VCS contract work.
The report details ongoing NEMA insurance claims and disaster cost recovery. Claims for costs from the floods of February last year and flood damage to rating district assets at Franz Josef, Karamea, Taramakau and Wanganui River at Hari Hari were nearly $600,000.
Further estimated costs of $321,557 were required in the current year to complete repairs, with a further claim now lodged for $292,559.
Overall, while the audit covers the council's financial performance it also audits its statutory function performance across every service area council provides.
These include regional leadership and the TTPP, council's Resource Management Act functions, its hydrology and flood warning services, river, drainage and coastal protection, community resilience and regional transport.
Overall the council posted a deficit of $1,112,777 against a budget of $10.5m, compared to a $10.57m profit the previous year.
The main causes of the deficit were the global economic impact on council's investment portfolio and the delayed IRG 'shovel ready' infrastructure projects funded by the Government. Subsidy and grant revenue from that source was $9.5m less than budgeted due to the delay in getting the infrastructure projects off the ground. As a result, the relevant funding requests from the Government were down from an expected $11.4m to $1.5m.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
Cyclone Gabrielle has had a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of Kiwis. As the long clean up begins and support becomes more and more needed, Stuff is calling for readers to support the Red Cross and Mayoral Relief Funds in areas where a local state of emergency has been declared. … View moreCyclone Gabrielle has had a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of Kiwis. As the long clean up begins and support becomes more and more needed, Stuff is calling for readers to support the Red Cross and Mayoral Relief Funds in areas where a local state of emergency has been declared. We'd love your support. You can donate here.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council needs to "learn to sprint" rather than act "at snail's pace" with its key infrastructure projects in 2023.
However, key projects including the $56 million Westport flood resilience scheme,… View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council needs to "learn to sprint" rather than act "at snail's pace" with its key infrastructure projects in 2023.
However, key projects including the $56 million Westport flood resilience scheme, still need the green light from the Government.
Others such as the first stage of the Waiho (Waiau) River scheme at Franz Josef are stalled nearly a year after the contract was let due to a delay in affected party consent relating to a legal dispute.
The council's infrastructure governance committee, inaugurated last year amidst fears of losing up to $22m of Government money already allocated to council for projects, met this week to hear of progress on the major projects.
However, much of the finer detail was heard in-committee.
In opening, committee chairperson Frank Dooley noted a hard-hitting plea from West Coast dairy farmer Paul Berry to urgently address the threat posed by the Hokitika River to Westland Milk Products and Hokitika township.
That underlined the urgency the council had to move on in a number of areas, yet he had also read in a report recently "that we move at a snail's pace, and I think we have to learn to sprint".
"We have to be proactive."
Chief executive Heather Mabin updated a work plan for the yet-to-be approved $55m Westport scheme.
This had been sought "so we can hit the ground running" when the council got the go-ahead from the Government.
However, she said at this stage nothing was on the horizon as to when that might be.
"I was in contact with the Department of Internal Affairs last week. It hasn't changed: it will be part of the budget announcement later this year. We have set up a project team," Mabin said.
That team would be headed by Mike West, who oversaw the emergency housing project at Alma Rd in Westport, in the wake of the July 2021 floods.
As well, consultants Garry Williams, Matt Gardiner, and Steve Garner who had helped inform the $56m co-funding proposal in conjunction with the Westport Technical Advisory Group would be on the team.
Mabin said the council intended to have a work plan for Westport drafted by March 14.
The regional council had approved $700,000 of initial spending this year towards the project.
Any further urgent works signalled by Williams for Westport would be brought before council on March 14, she said.
Dooley, of Westport, said that was "music to the ears" but asked about the role of the Westport Joint Rating District.
Mabin said the project team would be responsible to her with reporting to the Infrastructure Resilience Group of MBIE.
At some point some recommendations regarding the Westport scheme would need to go before the joint committee.
"That is subject to the fact we do not know how much we have to spend."
Dooley said it would be wonderful news for Westport when it came.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Extraordinarily dry weather throughout the West Coast this summer has been reflected in very low flows in rivers across the region.
In contrast to the North Island in the wake of Cyclone Giselle, in the past seven days until Friday no rain had … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Extraordinarily dry weather throughout the West Coast this summer has been reflected in very low flows in rivers across the region.
In contrast to the North Island in the wake of Cyclone Giselle, in the past seven days until Friday no rain had fallen in the Buller River catchment at Bald Hill and there has been 23mm in the Inangahua catchment, according to West Coast Regional Council river monitoring data.
For the Grey River and its inland tributaries no rain has been recorded for seven days; likewise, no rain has been recorded in the Hokitika River headwaters for the same period while further south the Waiho (Waiau) at Franz Josef only had 2.5mm.
Over December and January the council has been closely monitoring river levels, particularly in the Grey Valley.
"For the most part of January, the lack of rainfall has seen all the rivers drop near or below their seven-day mean annual low flows," a staff report to the West Coast Regional Council Resource Management Committee this week said.
As a result, hydrology staff conducted 18 'low flow' gaugings which would help the council to calibrate its current flow models for waterways in the region.
The council expected to start reporting long term flow data soon via its website, the report said.
It notified Grey Valley farmers last month they were on irrigation watch. The valley is one of the principal irrigated farming areas on the West Coast.
Meanwhile, the report notes that council only picked up one area of concern through its contact recreation water monitoring for popular swimming holes and beaches. That was at Marrs Beach, at the mouth of a major protected wetland off Martins Creek and opposite Westport township on the Buller River.
It exceeded the safe E coli threshold for swimming at the new year.
Increased coliform readings are often associated with rainfall but, "no significant rainfall occurred at the time," the report said.
In recent weeks, science staff had also been responding to public inquiries around potentially toxic algae after the council put out a public appeal to watch for and report toxic algae.
But so far no sites have been found that pose a health threat.
The threat was considered serious as rivers continued to drop and higher water temperatures and low flows can prompt harmful algae.
"Warm stable temperatures can favour growth of such algae. So far no sites have been found that pose a significant threat to human or animal health."
The West Coast council was liaising with Health NZ and Environment Canterbury on how to respond should a
significant threat be identified.
The council is also having to up its game around wetland assessment, with new national standards impacting.
Science staff had helped the compliance department with a wetland assessment last month.
"Council will need to increase capacity in identifying and validating wetland types and extent. Science and compliance staff are currently developing skills in wetland plant identification."
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Everything from coal dust at Stillwater to rubbish being burned in 44-gallon drums has attracted complaints to the West Coast Regional Council over summer.
Compliance staff undertook 85 site visits in the two months to the end of January, staff … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Everything from coal dust at Stillwater to rubbish being burned in 44-gallon drums has attracted complaints to the West Coast Regional Council over summer.
Compliance staff undertook 85 site visits in the two months to the end of January, staff reported to the Resource Management Committee today.
Seven related to public complaints, 16 were for mining compliance and bond release checks, five for resource consent monitoring, and 57 dairy farm checks.
Compliance staff found several drums with rubbish burning at a Franz Josef site and they offered some guidance to the offender.
A tyre fire on Caribou Rd at Ikamatua is also under the council's gaze following a request from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, which extinguished the blaze.
A complaint about excess coal dust entering houses near the coal transfer station adjoining the Stillwater railway yard was upheld.
Staff found a lot of dust had settled on the windowsills of the complainant, resulting in the site manager agreeing to move water sprinklers at the coal loadout site to dampen the dust.
An associated transport company was also directed to ensure all trailers are covered when transporting coal in the area.
An old house being demolished near Franz Josef and illegally buried is under investigation.
"It was found that the house was buried on farmland without the appropriate consent."
The contractor had been asked to remove it to a consented dump but they had since applied "for a retrospective consent" to keep the remains on site.
Meanwhile, the council is keeping watch on stock in waterways on farms.
A Rotomanu farm pinged during a routine visit by council for three unbridged stock crossings had previously been reported and the farmer had yet to comply.
No further action was being taken about cows allegedly being in the Haast River early this month but the leaseholder had agreed to fence an area where cows were alleged to have been.
A complaint "by another agency" about earthworks at the old Seaview Hospital site was not upheld.
An allegation a Kaniere landowner was taking scrap metal to a mine site and burying it was not upheld.
Staff found the land being cleared was contaminated with scrap metal, which had been separated and was being loaded on to a truck by a scrap metal dealer.
Another compliant of a bad smell from a Hokitika transport firm yard over the new year break was found to be from the stock truck discharge sump; action was taken to mitigate that in future.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
The team at NZ Compare hope everyone is keeping safe and snuggled up with their loved ones n this terrible weather. 🥰
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Regional updates for February 15th, see the live Stuff updates.
14th February - 10:45am Update: National State of Emergency
Minister for Emergency Management, Kieran McAnulty, has confirmed a National State of Emergency this morning due to the widespread damage across the country due to … View moreRegional updates for February 15th, see the live Stuff updates.
14th February - 10:45am Update: National State of Emergency
Minister for Emergency Management, Kieran McAnulty, has confirmed a National State of Emergency this morning due to the widespread damage across the country due to Cyclone Gabrielle.
While many regions have already declared a local state of emergency, a National State of Emergency gives the National Controller legal authority to apply resources across the country in support of a national level response.
Here's what you need to know:
- Heavy rain red warnings are in place for Northland and Hawke's Bay, with red strong wind warnings also for Northland, Coromandel and Taranaki. Check all weather warnings on the MetService website.
- States of emergency have been declared in Northland, Auckland, Tairāwhiti, Ōpōtiki, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato District, Hauraki District, Whakatāne District, Bay of Plenty, Napier and Hastings.
- There has been a landslide in Murawai with one firefighter missing.
- Gisborne is feared cut off and the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. Residents are to take note of the Welfare Centres for Gisborne and Coromandel.
- A number of road closures are in place across the North Island. View these on the Waka Kotahi NZTA website.
- Fire and Emergency is urging people to only call 111 if life or safety is at risk after a surge in calls.
- In Auckland there are 27 shelters and civil defence centres where people can go in an emergency.
Stuff are posting live updates and have shared what you need in your 3-day emergency kit. Stay up to date with Civil Defence updates and track the storm here.
2pm Update for Hawke's Bay:
Multiple evacuations needed in Puketapu, Esk Valley, Rissington, Omahu, Waiohiki, Jervoistown and Meeanee and Waipawa.
Many remain trapped in cars and houses. Several bridges have been taken out with access between Hastings and Napier now cutoff. More than 20,000 people are without power and cellphone communication in and out of the region is patchy.
Omahu residents needing shelter can go to Hastings Sports' Centre. Taradale residents can head to St Joseph's Māori Girls' School.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is still grappling with how to identify 'orphan assets'.
Many of the assets refer to bridge protection work or stopbanks built by different administrations, including the former Westland Catchment Board … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is still grappling with how to identify 'orphan assets'.
Many of the assets refer to bridge protection work or stopbanks built by different administrations, including the former Westland Catchment Board before the regional council was formed in 1989, or historically by other authorities including the former roads boards.
The Westport floods of 2021 brought the issue to the surface, especially with the ownership of historic river training works at Organs Island on the Buller River, upstream of Westport township.
In Cobden, the seawall built along Domett Esplanade in 1969 is still a matter of contention, while record floods at Reefton last winter also highlighted the problem of 'orphan assets'.
In August, former councillor Laura Coll told the Risk and Assurance Committee meeting that clarifying the ownership and assessing the state of the protection banks on the true right bank of the Inangahua River at Reefton was urgent after flooding last year.
Significant flooding at Reefton about 40 years ago had prompted the existing protection work but there was a local assumption the council was responsible for maintaining the stopbanks, despite there being no local rating district.
Coll-McLaughlin urged the council to begin to identify all the 'orphan assets' around the region, as it risked credibility issues if it had no plan or had not taken any steps to clarify ownership.
Acting corporate services manager Marc Ferguson told the Risk and Assurance Committee this week there was as yet uncertainty about the status of a list of those assets.
It had apparently been compiled internally by a former staff member, who left the council in November.
Committee chairperson Cr Frank Dooley said it was a "black hole" as was seen with Organ's Island.
"It's up to us as the responsible organisation within our region for flood protection to get it sorted," he said.
The question was, had the list been prepared?
Cr Brett Cummings suggested it might be up to councillors themselves to use their historic knowledge to come up with a list. The ownership of some
assets had been disputed, which was the reason he brought it up, with numerous examples in the region.
For example, near the Punakaiki River mouth a rockwall protecting State Highway 6 had been built in the past, and it had been having a knock-on erosion effect on the nearby shoreline, but the NZ Transport Agency "don't want anything to do with it".
Cummings said there were probably a lot of people who assumed some assets were the regional council's where in fact they were not.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The public will be excluded from open debate when the West Coast Regional Council receives and adopts the draft 2022 annual report tomorrow - three months late.
Keeping the report behind closed doors is being justified by council management as … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The public will be excluded from open debate when the West Coast Regional Council receives and adopts the draft 2022 annual report tomorrow - three months late.
Keeping the report behind closed doors is being justified by council management as something the auditor requires.
Last week the council's Risk and Assurance Committee 'workshopped' the draft report for several hours "line by line" after a planned extraordinary meeting in December to finalise the report was shelved.
Chief executive Heather Mabin said this morning there was nothing untoward with the draft and discussing it in the confidential meeting was "just the auditor insisting it must be adopted in-committee".
"We are not driving this classification to in-committee."
Mabin confirmed staff severance was mentioned in the report as this was a financial reporting requirement.
Reporting of the controversial agreement between the council-owned VCS Ltd and the council chairman's own company Birchfield Minerals regarding the future sale of the Grey Valley dredge, had again been disclosed in the annual report, as it had been prior to it dropping off the annual report in recent years.
Risk and Assurance Committee chairperson Frank Dooley said today he did not know why it had been placed in the in-committee section tomorrow and he would be questioning it.
It was a council document and he could see no justifiable reason for it not to be discussed in public.
"I don't know why. That is a question I have for the chief executive. I believe that the audit report should be adopted in the public meeting, and I will be moving that way."
Dooley said most of the glitches in the report had been "ironed out" last week during the workshop.
If the auditor wanted to discuss an aspect of the annual report in public excluded that could be done without having to excluded the rest of the annual report, he said.
"The balance should be in open meeting. If the document is going to be adopted it's a public document...It's not the auditors document, it's the document of the council and a review of council's performance."
The regional council changed auditors last year from Audit NZ to Ernst and Young.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
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