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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
New property valuations would have netted the West Coast Regional Council an extra $700,000 - a 17% rates yield on top of the 10% increase already approved this financial year.
Instead, the council decided last night to "keep faith" … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
New property valuations would have netted the West Coast Regional Council an extra $700,000 - a 17% rates yield on top of the 10% increase already approved this financial year.
Instead, the council decided last night to "keep faith" with the 10% increase it had notified in the annual plan, and to make internal adjustments to contain what might have been a whopping 27% rates increase.
Last year the council imposed a 30% increase on West Coast ratepayers.
Councillor John Hill, of Buller, asked for clarification that if the council did nothing the rates would increase a further 17%.
Acting corporate services manager Marc Ferguson confirmed that, noting that would also be additional to the 10% already struck in the annual plan.
Quotable Value valuations effective from July 1 had unexpectedly affected the regional council's projected yield for the 2022-23 rates strike, coming just two days after councillors set a 10% increase. The new valuations automatically bumped that up 15% which, with other adjustments, would have resulted in the extra 17%.
Ferguson said if staff had applied the factors set out in the annual plan "it would have reflected a 17% increase," or about $700,000 of extra income.
The main increases in the region would have been for the Grey district, by about 32%, compared to 2 to 3% for Westland and Buller districts.
Ferguson said they were conscious of the current economic environment for ratepayers and the recommendation was to "keep the yield as it was originally".
Councillors agreed, and councillor Laura Coll-McLaughlin, of Buller, summed it up: "We needed a certain budget, and it was just about how we got there (by adjusting) the machinery behind the scenes, and not taking more than what we intended".
Coll-McLaughlin suggested the council in future revisit the differential applied for each of the three districts.
She noted the Grey district represented about 43% of the capital values for the entire region yet it appeared the actual differential applied currently was set at about 39%.
Ferguson said there might an historical basis, "possibly linked to population in each of the areas".
Coll-McLaughlin said she saw that Westland had 30% of the capital value but noted it only had 20% of the region's population.
Councillor Peter Ewen noted the last 'on-line' census, considered to be "a bit of a fiasco" might be one factor in the differential settings.
"The figures we got for the West Coast would not be that accurate, I would think."
*Public interest journalism funded by NZ On Air
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A site just north of Hokitika is being used to dispose of demolition material, including asbestos, from a fire damaged former Greymouth school, the West Coast Regional Council has confirmed.
The old Greymouth Intermediate School has been struck … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A site just north of Hokitika is being used to dispose of demolition material, including asbestos, from a fire damaged former Greymouth school, the West Coast Regional Council has confirmed.
The old Greymouth Intermediate School has been struck by two fires, the latest in June, with a 1960s brick classroom block and 1970s-era fibro-lite clad buildings either gutted or very badly damaged.
Hokitika contractor Henry Adams started demolition on Tuesday for the owners, Mawhera Incorporation.
After the regional council became aware demolition had started it visited the school site, given the risk of hazardous material and how it might be disposed of, council consents and compliance manager Colin Helem said.
The contractor had confirmed demolition material was being carted to their authorised disposal site near Hokitika.
"The site is authorised to receive material that may be contaminated with waste containing asbestos," Helem said.
Henry Adams had held a consent since 2017 to dispose of approved demolition material at a Keoghans Rd site, near Hau Hau Creek and just north of Hokitika.
The site had previously been mined by the contractor.
Helem said a council compliance officer visited that site and established the operation to dispose of demolition material there was compliant with the consent.
"It has been inspected and there is no issue there."
Helem noted the demolition was likely to be complex due to the fire damage masking the type of material in the structure, including the presence of asbestos.
It meant the contractor would wet down material as it was being removed, he said.
The former school site has appeared increasingly neglected since Greymouth High School sold its Karoro Learning Centre about 2015 to private provider Frontline.
Frontline closed and vacated the site in July 2017 and tenure of the old school then reverted to Mawhera as the landowner.
* Public interest journalism is funded by NZ on Air
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has "little appetite to buy arguments" with local communities over speed limits, the West Coast Regional Transport Committee has heard.
Several West Coast speed hot spots on the books for some … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has "little appetite to buy arguments" with local communities over speed limits, the West Coast Regional Transport Committee has heard.
Several West Coast speed hot spots on the books for some time are still to be lowered, the committee heard this week.
These include the current 70kph zone outside Karoro School in Greymouth and the 70kph through Blacks Point near Reefton.
Karoro School has been calling for a review for several years, including lengthening the current 50kph speed zone which ends north of the school, near the Australasian Hotel, to replace the 70kph zone outside the school.
At Blacks Point, residents have been calling for a lower speed limit for decades including a recent plea to lower it to 30kph due to the blind spots, and people not slowing down on the winding section through the village.
Now the West Coast Regional Transport Committee, via the regional council, is required to co-ordinate input from road controlling agencies, including NZTA and district councils, for a regional speed management plan.
A report to the committee said the first full planning period for the new regional plan was likely to be the three years from July 2027.
It was not recommended the group prepare an interim regional speed management plan.
West Coast Regional Council strategy and communications manager Nichola Costley, said the first regional plan was not expected to be more than "a compilation process".
However, NZTA regional relationships director James Caygill said the agency would be consulting on an interim plan for the region before the 2024-27 period.
This could be as early as the end of this year or in early 2023.
It was expected to include all state highway 40kpm school speed zones on the West Coast.
"I would expect some school work and some minor tidy-ups," he said.
This included finishing off a review of the Blacks Point 70kph zone where residents had been "loud and clear".
Otherwise, no big surprises were expected in the interim plan, Caygill said.
Committee chairman Allan Birchfield said he thought the committee had already agreed to reduce the speed on State Highway 7 at Blacks Point, with a commitment to review the 100kph open road limit on the entire 59km of that road, from Reefton to Springs Junction.
Caygill said the agency had consulted and it was "interested in advancing speed reductions where they are acceptable for communities".
However, committee member Peter Haddock said the committee had made it clear in the past it did not want "widespread" speed reductions on long stretches of open road.
He gave the example of State Highway 73 and West Coasters apparently not wanting to be unnecessarily delayed on the road to go about their business in Canterbury, including urgent medical appointments.
Haddock understood from the agency that "people don't want to be chopping and changing all the time".
"But it's unacceptable on State Highway 73 where people have got certain times they have to get to Christchurch," he said.
"There is no doubt there are certain areas that need speed reductions to avoid crashes... but what we don't want to see is it going for 50 miles or 100km or something."
* Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Interest in the future of Westport and the Buller District is intense, with the West Coast Regional Council leading the country for candidates contesting any one seat in the October local body elections.
As nominations drew to a close it looked … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Interest in the future of Westport and the Buller District is intense, with the West Coast Regional Council leading the country for candidates contesting any one seat in the October local body elections.
As nominations drew to a close it looked as though no-one would put their name forward for two seats in Buller.
However, a flood of last minute nominations saw 11 put up a hand and data released by Policy.nz, using their candidate comparison tool, shows the Buller seat has attracted the highest candidate interest for any single council ward in the country.
In Buller, the current sitting councillors Laura Coll-McLaughlin and John Hill are both stepping down after just three years.
Coll-McLaughlin, the youngest West Coast Regional councillor and one of just two women on the council, cited professional and family commitments but has not ruled out standing again in future.
Hill cited age and the need for younger members as a reason to step aside.
Both have previously mentioned the workload, which is expected to intensify in the next three years.
A raft of legislative reform affecting local government is ongoing, with more expected on top of significant infrastructure projects.
The regional council is also charged with ushering through the Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP), a combined one district plan to replace the existing Buller, Grey and Westland district plans.
Both existing councillors sit on the TTPP Committee and the plan is now at the submissions stage.
The Buller reps also had to shoulder more work following the Westport floods.
The council oversaw the joint business proposal for a co-funded protection scheme of more than $50m and it awaits a Government decision.
If approved it would take several years to implement.
Regional council chairman Allan Birchfield attributed the good number of candidates to concerns about the future of Westport, and the outcome of the proposed Kawatiri Business Case for future flood resilience in particular.
Whoever won the seat would have their work cut out to ensure a fair deal.
"The stopbanks -- that would be the reason," Birchfield said.
"In their term the flood protection work will either go ahead or not."
According to Policy.nz the other most contested seats nationally are the Banks Peninsula ward for the Christchurch City Council (seven for one seat), Christchurch's Riccarton Ward (seven for one seat), and Wellington's Paekawakawa/Southern general ward with 10 candidates for two seats (five candidates per seat).
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
West Coast Civic leaders moved to pay tribute yesterday as flags were lowered to half mast and the country moved to an official mourning period of 14 days for New Zealand's longest serving Sovereign.
Condolence books were placed at all four… View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
West Coast Civic leaders moved to pay tribute yesterday as flags were lowered to half mast and the country moved to an official mourning period of 14 days for New Zealand's longest serving Sovereign.
Condolence books were placed at all four West Coast council offices, including the Westland District Council chambers in Hokitika, the West Coast Regional Council at Paroa, and at the Grey District Council chambers, for the public to pay tribute.
For Buller, a condolence book was placed at the council's Westport Brougham House and at its Inangahua Service Centre in Reefton. Flowers could also be left at the Gates of Remembrance in Westport.
The mayors of Westland, Grey, and Buller all paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth's strong example of unstinting public service over 70 years in the Commonwealth, ahead of anticipated public memorial services in the region and nationally.
All mayors and chairs are expected to attend the state memorial when it is announced.
West Coast Regional Council chairman Allan Birchfield said he would definitely be attending and said the Queen's example of "a moral compass" was admirable to him.
"I was always a bit of a royalist... She's held the royal family's moral compass all the way through."
He suspected her passing would bring unprecedented change to the institution in terms of her successor and wondered if it might be "the beginning of the end".
In a statement, the Department of Internal Affairs advised that on the death of the Queen, Prince Charles immediately became His Majesty King Charles III.
"The death of the Queen has the effect of transferring all the functions, duties, powers to the new King, but otherwise has no effect in law for any purpose (Constitution Act 1986, section 5(1))."
Various branches of Government had been making "discrete preparations" towards the day on which the Queen died.
"Planning is underway to ensure the delivery of events that will mark the Queen's passing, acknowledge the change of Head of State and allow New Zealanders to mourn."
At a national level, condolence books were being made available for the public to sign and people could leave messages at condolences@dia.govt.nz
DIA said a State Memorial Service would be held after the official service in London.
"We expect all mayors and regional council chairs will be invited. A brief ceremony, the Proclamation of Ascension, will be held in the next few days to officially declare the new sovereign as New Zealand's Head of State."
Flags across the city are being lowered to half-mast as Christchurch joins the rest of the Commonwealth in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen, the world’s longest serving monarch, died on Friday morning at Balmoral, Scotland, at the age of 96.
In Christchurch, which the … View moreFlags across the city are being lowered to half-mast as Christchurch joins the rest of the Commonwealth in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen, the world’s longest serving monarch, died on Friday morning at Balmoral, Scotland, at the age of 96.
In Christchurch, which the Queen visited nine times during her reign, flags are being flown at half-mast and condolence books are being opened at civic centres.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said the Royal Family had been ardent supporters of the city, for which its residents would “always be grateful”.
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Take your senses on a trip around the world! Enjoy performances, games, international stalls and food at Lincoln Domain this Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
The CultureFest celebrations continue at our two-week series of events. From dance classes, sport sessions, displays and art activities, there’s… View moreTake your senses on a trip around the world! Enjoy performances, games, international stalls and food at Lincoln Domain this Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
The CultureFest celebrations continue at our two-week series of events. From dance classes, sport sessions, displays and art activities, there’s plenty of events to keep you entertained.
Pick up a brochure from a Selwyn facility or check out the events online.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council says it intends to keep "good faith" with ratepayers and not impose a further rates increase based on new capital valuations for the region.
New property valuations came in higher than expected in the … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council says it intends to keep "good faith" with ratepayers and not impose a further rates increase based on new capital valuations for the region.
New property valuations came in higher than expected in the 2022-23 annual plan.
The council yesterday gave notice it will reset its rates based on a yield increase of 17% against that anticipated in the 2022-23 Annual Plan from revised capital values for the region. It has called an extraordinary meeting for September 21, six days after the postal vote begins for this year's local body election.
However, it says the new valuation yield will not be reflected in this year's rates, with the "status quo" to remain.
The new valuations from QV arrived on July 1, two days after the council approved the rates rise based on what it had consulted the public with in the annual plan.
On June 28 the council approved a 10% rates increase for this financial year, but excluded a planned inflation adjustment of 2.3% which had been signalled in the long-term plan.
Last year, West Coast Regional Council rates went up 30%.
The public notice for the extraordinary meeting said the estimated rateable capital value of the West Coast had increased 15% above that used to set the general rate in June.
Chief executive Heather Mabin said the council had to set its rates to meet the statutory timeframe by the end of June, although it was aware there might also be a variation with the capital value baseline.
There had been a delay at council in being able to run the new capital valuations numbers due to an accounting system changeover at the council, she said.
As it turned out the new QV values "were much different" from what was expected, Mabin said.
Acting corporate services manager Marc Ferguson said they had done rates modelling before the system upgrade, but once the revised values were received some capital valuations had increased by as much as $10 for every $100.
Regardless of the council's intention not to pass on the yield increase this time it was required to give notice to reset the rates based on the adjusted QV values, he said.
The council proposed "in good faith" to maintain what it had previously set but against the new capital value yield figure.
"We're having to stick with the original rates amount posted in the annual plan ... it's the status quo," Ferguson said.
"It's not about us making extra money with the extra QV money."
However, notification of the first rates instalment would probably be pushed out to the end of October.
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A smattering of West Coast Regional councillors and a newcomer trying for a seat in Westland fronted a 'meet the candidates' forum in Hokitika on Wednesday night.
Sitting councillors Debra Magner and Stuart Challenger took to the stage along with Peter Haddock of Greymouth, who is … View moreA smattering of West Coast Regional councillors and a newcomer trying for a seat in Westland fronted a 'meet the candidates' forum in Hokitika on Wednesday night.
Sitting councillors Debra Magner and Stuart Challenger took to the stage along with Peter Haddock of Greymouth, who is throwing his hat in the ring for Westland.
Magner promoted her farming and accounting background and said she hoped to build on her first term's work if re-elected.
This had included a push to bring about better internal reporting systems at the West Coast Regional Council -- including a Risk and Assurance Committee which she has chaired.
This was important for the council to sustainably manage its environmental oversight responsibility on a "path of continuous improvement," to be able to respond to community need and have the capacity to gain and retain external funding for infrastructure projects.
Peter Haddock, a retiring Grey district councillor of South Beach, is a partner in Greymouth engineering firm Equip.
He noted his role in building the Greymouth floodwall in the late 1980s.
Haddock said the regional council currently had "real problems" with a faction across the ward boundaries of Westland and Grey.
Loss of experienced staff and delays in consenting impacted on the council's ability to administer Government funding, which affected the rating districts.
This "loss of unity" sent a bad signal to the Government.
He would focus on this and at the same time "fight for local democracy".
Challenger, an environmental engineer, said he hoped to continue as the need for diverse representation at the table was no different from when he first stood in 2013.
The council needed diverse backgrounds like his to balance the mining, and dairy farming influence.
"I believe the regional council has too many meetings behind closed doors."
The biggest issue the region faced was the impact of climate change which required wider collaboration and "a multi-generational approach".
Two other candidates for Westland, Andrew Campbell and Fritha Templeton, were not present.
Templeton said on Friday she intended to withdraw due to family circumstances.
Council deputy electoral officer Nichola Costley said today the voting papers had been printed, and Templeton had been advised to run a campaign letting people know she was out of the running.
Wednesday night's forum included the five candidates for the Westland District Mayoralty plus several ward candidates for the Westland District Council.
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