West Coast Council ‘orphan asset’ list to be identified
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 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
Poll: Is it rude to talk on the phone on a bus?
Buses can be a relaxing way to get home if you have a seat and enough space. However, it can be off-putting when someone is taking a phone call next to you.
Do you think it's inconsiderate for people to have lengthy phone calls on a bus? Vote in the poll, and add your comments below.
-
64.6% Yes
-
32.9% No
-
2.5% Other - I'll share below
Unlock the Answer: Today’s Riddle is Trickier Than You Think!
What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Become an SPCA Foster Hero!
Kitten season has arrived, and over the next six months, over 8,000 cats and kittens will come into SPCA’s care. Please help us give these babies the best start in life and sign up to be a foster parent today! It's not just cats and kittens - we are also urgently seeking foster homes for dogs and small animals.
Fostering saves lives and helps these tiny babies grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults, ready for adoption. We cover all training and costs. All you need is time and love to spare!
Sign up today and save a life!