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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Minister not impressed with council
Resources Minister Shane Jones has challenged the West Coast Regional Council to explain why it exists if it cannot approve mining consents in a reasonable timeframe. He also repeated his warning to Local Democracy Reporting that the country's regional councils are on borrowed time under the coalition government. West Coast goldminers have appealed to the minister over long delays as consent applications are processed by environmental consultants in the North Island. Some miners — including a regional councillor — have waited for more than a year for the go-ahead, and the council recently shut down a gold mine that had been bulk-sampling and waiting 17 months for consent to mine. Prominent mining adviser Glenys Perkins this week told the minister that her family has put off expanding the gold mine on their farm and hiring two more workers because a consultant wants a drain monitored for a year before granting consent. Mr Jones told LDR he was not impressed with the council's performance. "If the council cannot perform this core role, of issuing resource consents in a timely fashion, what is its purpose? "What other role does it have down there?" It was distressing to hear of obstacles being placed in the way of miners when the government was trying to grow exports and the West Coast was "riddled" with all sorts of mining opportunities. "I feel I've acted with a great deal of credibility and supported the Coast, so why can't local government on the West Coast support me? "Why are local bureaucrats importing people from other parts of New Zealand to protract, delay and undermine the agenda of our government?" That agenda was to promote growth in the regions, boost economic resilience, generate jobs and dig the country out of the post-Covid fiscal hole, Mr Jones said. Regional council chief executive Darryl Lew defended the council's record, saying consents staff have been under pressure with high numbers of consent applications including complex ones leading to hearings that were taking up large amounts of staff time. External consultants have been hired to ease the workload, but he now believed it was time to hire more staff, he said. Shane Jones said he did not know the fine details of the council's hiring practices, but he judged politicians on their results and outcomes. "And the politicians and bureaucrats of the West Coast Regional Council, they owe a high level of duty to that element of the community that's ready to risk their money and take their equity into these enterprises." Processing resource consents and enabling the economy were core business for regional councils, Mr Jones said. "But regional councils in my view have reached a very low ebb." Regional councils had been invented to administer the Resource Management Act, and with the abolition of that Act, he believed they did not have a future, Mr Jones said. "Which is why after the next election there will be local-government rationalisation and the very strong stance we're taking is that there is no longer a purpose for regional councils and I am happy that the prime minister sees that such a development should be a priority, if not for this government then the next." With the RMA split into two new Acts, people working for regional councils would no doubt end up playing some kind of role in a reformed level of regional governance, the minister said. There were already examples of regional and district councils being fused together (in unitary authorities) and after the election there would be a host of options. Councils would need critical mass and a capital base to cope with changing weather, and higher expectations from the community about how to adapt to climatic challenges, the minister said. "I accept a lot of council leaders may be reluctant to openly identify options that might spell their demise, but I just want them to know after next election, we'll do that on their behalf." — Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter — LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Talk of axing regional councils 'unhelpful'
Environment Canterbury's chairperson says he's open to talking about the future of regional councils, but the current chatter is unhelpful. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Resources Minister Shane Jones have suggested regional councils could be abolished as part of the Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms. Speaking at Wednesday's (June 25) council meeting, Canterbury's regional council (ECan) chairperson Craig Pauling said the recent commentary was unhelpful. ''There has been some discussion over the last week on scrapping regional councils, and I don't think the conversation in the way it is happening is very helpful,'' Mr Pauling said. ''But it is a conversation which needs to happen and we have been doing it. ''We agree the current structure and funding is unsustainable, but it is not simple and it is just about scrapping regional councils and creating unitary authorities. ''As a regional council, our job is to strike a balance between environmental and economic considerations, along side our treaty partners.'' Mr Jones, a New Zealand First MP and Minister for Regional Development, repeated his warnings to Local Democracy Reporting this week that regional councils are on borrowed time. "Regional councils in my view have reached a very low ebb." With the abolition of the Resource Management Act, he said he believed regional councils did not have a future. 'Which is why after the next election there will be local government rationalisation and the very strong stance we're taking is that there is no longer a purpose for regional councils." With the RMA split into two new Acts, people working for Regional Councils would no doubt end up playing some kind of role in a reformed level of regional governance, the Minister said. The Prime Minister has said there were too many layers of government and the question would be considered as part of the RMA reform. There are 11 regional councils throughout New Zealand, which are tasked with managing natural resources such as land and water, supporting biodiversity, providing regional transport and building resilience to natural hazards and the effects of climate change. In some parts of the country these roles are taken on by unitary authorities, which combine the functions of a local and a regional council. Mr Pauling said debate around the role of regional councils is not new. The Canterbury Mayoral Forum, which represents local mayors, has been exploring what the future of local government could look like and ECan has a workshop planned for next month. Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting last month, Mr Pauling said he saw a future for separate district and regional councils. ''There needs to be a partnership between local, regional and central government and we (ECan) are good at bringing people together. ''If you are in Kaikōura, your main focus is Kaikōura, but at a regional level my focus is Canterbury.'' A single regional plan has been signalled as part of the RMA reform. ECan is already working on an integrated regional plan which would bring together seven regional plans, four river plans, the 10 District Plans and the various spatial plans developed by local councils. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has expressed support for establishing a unitary authority. However, North Canterbury mayors Dan Gordon (Waimakariri), Marie Black (Hurunui) and Craig Mackle (Kaikōura) have previously expressed support for Environment Canterbury continuing to have its regionwide functions. It is unclear how public transport and other Greater Christchurch issues would work, if the Christchurch City Council became a unitary authority. The future of local government was the subject of a review led by former Waimakariri District Council chief executive Jim Palmer and presented to Government in 2023. The panel proposed a greater role for regional councils. Local Government New Zealand has also been pushing for changes. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
3 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Matariki Pou Whenua Unveiling Marks Milestone For East Coast Marae's Cyclone Rebuild
Article – Zita Campbell – Local Democracy Reporter 'It's emotional for us because it is a long time coming,' a marae trust official says. A Tai Rāwhiti hapū unveiled a pou whenua over Matariki weekend, marking the beginning of its journey to relocate and rebuild its marae after it was destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle more than two years ago. The waters reached 3 metres up the wharenui wall of Rangatira Marae when the cyclone struck Te Karaka on 14 February, 2023. The water line marks are still visible on the wharenui mahau (entrance). 'There wasn't any other option but to relocate,' the secretary of the Rangatira Marae Trust, Whitiaua Ropitini, said at the event on Saturday. Ropitini said the destruction was 'heart-wrenching', but the Ngāti Wahia hapū (of Te Aitanga a Māhaki) persevered. The pou whenua is dedicated to tipuna (ancestor) Wi Haronga, who will act as kaitiaki (guardian) over the project and signal the start of construction, Ropitini said. 'We're here with Wi Haronga … Watching over us and seeing us through our build … bringing our people home, our whānau home and bringing our community together again.' Many whānau had been up since the early hours attending the 4.15am dawn service, the karakia whakamoe, at the existing marae, which was followed by a karakia whakatapu (consecration) at the proposed new site and a pōhiri to unveil the pou whenua. The pou whenua was carved by local kai whakairo (carver) Eruera Brown (Te Aitanga a Māhaki/Ngāti Porou), who teaches at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. 'Through his strong whakapapa links to Rangatira Marae, Eru was approached by the marae trustees to design and carve the pou based on the kaupapa,' Ropitini later told Local Democracy Reporting. The marae is being rebuilt at the corner of Kanakanaia Rd and Paulson Rd, just a few minutes' drive by car from its original site at 66 Rangatira Rd. Rangatira Marae whānau and friends attended the unveiling of the pou, with mayor Rehette Stoltz, National East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick, Labour MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, and the national president of Red Cross, John Dyer all present. Millions for marae rebuilds from government Kirkpatrick said when she first saw the destruction of the marae, there was an 'absolute feeling of hopelessness'. She was delighted the Crown was able to play its part in the relocation. Last month, the government announced $136.2 million in funding for the Whenua Māori and Marae Relocation Programme, which supports Māori communities severely affected by North Island weather events, and includes Rangatira and four other Tai Rāwhiti marae: Puketawai, Ōkuri, Hinemaurea and Takipū. It was the first time everyone was able to gather at the new site together, which Kirkpatrick noted was fitting: 'At the time of Matariki, where it's time for us to honour what's gone before us, celebrate our successes, and look to the future.' Two months after the cyclone, in late April 2023, the hapū engaged Asher Nikora of Rotorua company Xcel Builders, which specialises in marae renovations and rebuilds, to direct the project. According to a statement, from February to April 2023, the Marae Trust and Nikora conducted Conceptual Design Wānanga both in person and online, where whānau and hapū were asked to add to 'the dream list' of potential designs and concepts. In August 2023, the hapū received an Oranga Marae technical feasibility grant to carry out an assessment. A year later, on August 12, 2024, the Rangatira Marae Trust secured the purchase of the whenua (land) for its marae rebuild. At the unveiling, Nikora said his company will hire locals where possible, and he expects the build to take anywhere between a year and a year and a half. 'It is building effectively a marae from scratch.' They looked 'long and hard' at the logistics of moving the wharenui but found that there had been 'significant deterioration'. They want to maintain the essence of that wharenui, which includes transferring some of its key elements, Nikora said. 'The idea is that when you walk into the new wharenui … it will give you the same feeling around the existing wharenui that, of course, many of you will have many fond memories [of].' In January, the Rangatira Marae Trust received a Crown offer from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Cyclone Recovery Unit, which the trustees signed in May, according to a statement. A revival journey Before the cyclone, the marae and hapū had been undergoing 'a revival journey' that started in 2016 and led to many whānau returning, the statement says. The existing Te Whakahau wharenui opened on 5 November, 1926; however, over the years, 'it fell dormant due to social, economic, and urban drift'. In 2019/2020, the marae trust secured funding grants, including from the Provincial Growth Fund, which enabled renovations valued at $200,000. Ropitini said at the pōhiri that the trust had completed several works and the last job came in January, just before the cyclone. 'The floods came through and took over everything … The carpet was only six months old. 'Today is about a celebration of our next stage. 'It's emotional for us because it is a long time coming.'
Scoop
3 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Matariki Pou Whenua Unveiling Marks Milestone For East Coast Marae's Cyclone Rebuild
A Tai Rāwhiti hapū unveiled a pou whenua over Matariki weekend, marking the beginning of its journey to relocate and rebuild its marae after it was destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle more than two years ago. The waters reached 3 metres up the wharenui wall of Rangatira Marae when the cyclone struck Te Karaka on 14 February, 2023. The water line marks are still visible on the wharenui mahau (entrance). "There wasn't any other option but to relocate," the secretary of the Rangatira Marae Trust, Whitiaua Ropitini, said at the event on Saturday. Ropitini said the destruction was "heart-wrenching", but the Ngāti Wahia hapū (of Te Aitanga a Māhaki) persevered. The pou whenua is dedicated to tipuna (ancestor) Wi Haronga, who will act as kaitiaki (guardian) over the project and signal the start of construction, Ropitini said. "We're here with Wi Haronga ... Watching over us and seeing us through our build ... bringing our people home, our whānau home and bringing our community together again." Many whānau had been up since the early hours attending the 4.15am dawn service, the karakia whakamoe, at the existing marae, which was followed by a karakia whakatapu (consecration) at the proposed new site and a pōhiri to unveil the pou whenua. The pou whenua was carved by local kai whakairo (carver) Eruera Brown (Te Aitanga a Māhaki/Ngāti Porou), who teaches at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. "Through his strong whakapapa links to Rangatira Marae, Eru was approached by the marae trustees to design and carve the pou based on the kaupapa," Ropitini later told Local Democracy Reporting. The marae is being rebuilt at the corner of Kanakanaia Rd and Paulson Rd, just a few minutes' drive by car from its original site at 66 Rangatira Rd. Rangatira Marae whānau and friends attended the unveiling of the pou, with mayor Rehette Stoltz, National East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick, Labour MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, and the national president of Red Cross, John Dyer all present. Millions for marae rebuilds from government Kirkpatrick said when she first saw the destruction of the marae, there was an "absolute feeling of hopelessness". She was delighted the Crown was able to play its part in the relocation. Last month, the government announced $136.2 million in funding for the Whenua Māori and Marae Relocation Programme, which supports Māori communities severely affected by North Island weather events, and includes Rangatira and four other Tai Rāwhiti marae: Puketawai, Ōkuri, Hinemaurea and Takipū. It was the first time everyone was able to gather at the new site together, which Kirkpatrick noted was fitting: "At the time of Matariki, where it's time for us to honour what's gone before us, celebrate our successes, and look to the future." Two months after the cyclone, in late April 2023, the hapū engaged Asher Nikora of Rotorua company Xcel Builders, which specialises in marae renovations and rebuilds, to direct the project. According to a statement, from February to April 2023, the Marae Trust and Nikora conducted Conceptual Design Wānanga both in person and online, where whānau and hapū were asked to add to "the dream list" of potential designs and concepts. In August 2023, the hapū received an Oranga Marae technical feasibility grant to carry out an assessment. A year later, on August 12, 2024, the Rangatira Marae Trust secured the purchase of the whenua (land) for its marae rebuild. At the unveiling, Nikora said his company will hire locals where possible, and he expects the build to take anywhere between a year and a year and a half. "It is building effectively a marae from scratch." They looked "long and hard" at the logistics of moving the wharenui but found that there had been "significant deterioration". They want to maintain the essence of that wharenui, which includes transferring some of its key elements, Nikora said. "The idea is that when you walk into the new wharenui ... it will give you the same feeling around the existing wharenui that, of course, many of you will have many fond memories [of]." In January, the Rangatira Marae Trust received a Crown offer from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Cyclone Recovery Unit, which the trustees signed in May, according to a statement. A revival journey Before the cyclone, the marae and hapū had been undergoing "a revival journey" that started in 2016 and led to many whānau returning, the statement says. The existing Te Whakahau wharenui opened on 5 November, 1926; however, over the years, "it fell dormant due to social, economic, and urban drift". In 2019/2020, the marae trust secured funding grants, including from the Provincial Growth Fund, which enabled renovations valued at $200,000. Ropitini said at the pōhiri that the trust had completed several works and the last job came in January, just before the cyclone. "The floods came through and took over everything ... The carpet was only six months old. "Today is about a celebration of our next stage.
1News
4 days ago
- 1News
Canoeists discover couches dumped in Hawke's Bay stream
Glyn Harrison and his 12-year-old daughter Micah aren't your typical armchair critics. They prefer to get out and about and enjoy the world. As they launched their packed canoe from the Riverslea Rd bridge in Hastings last Friday into the Irongate stream, they were off to enjoy some time with Mother Nature, and collect some rubbish in the process. But about 1km down from the Cherry Grove Dairy in Havelock North, they came across something in the Karamu Stream that wasn't going to fit in any bag – a couch. "It must have been thrown over the bridge or down the riverbank," Harrison said. ADVERTISEMENT "Most people can't see it, but we did as we paddled down the Karamū. "When you get the idea to dump something over the bridge or in the stream, think about how much of a dumb idea it is." River runners Glyn Harrison and his family regularly collect rubbish from the Karamu Stream. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Harrison said no dumping was acceptable, but he had a suggestion for how to cushion the blow for authorities when getting rid of furniture. "You could dump it at a road end instead. It's a shame I have to give the latter option, but it's unfortunately necessary, as it makes the recovery process much easier for those tasked with the cleanup." A spokesperson for the Hawke's Bay Regional Council said illegal dumping had a significant impact on the environment. "The costs of removal and proper disposal are also huge. Illegal dumping blocks our drainage network and increases flood risk to people and property and contaminates our environment. ADVERTISEMENT "If there is enough evidence, the council can take enforcement action under the Resource Management Plan, particularly for any discharges. "Illegal dumping is a serious and persistent problem across Hawke's Bay, happening week after week. "It tends to happen in public access areas, including Regional Parks, river access points, open spaces, and our drainage network in semi-rural areas." It's the second time this month a couch has been found in the stream. Havelock North resident John Clare posted a photo on Facebook of a couch in the stream on June 1. He told Local Democracy Reportingit was a hassle to try to remove furniture from the water. "Fortunately, my neighbour on the other side of the stream pulled it out," Clare said. ADVERTISEMENT "Because dump fees are based on weight, you need it to dry out. It's a constant battle pulling rubbish from the stream.' Harrison, a "Haumoana boy" who now lives in Hastings, says the Karamū Stream is one of Hawke's Bay's best-kept secrets. "You see all kinds of wildlife, then when the sun goes down and reflects off the water, it's just beautiful. I often think that it makes you feel like part of the land." Harrison said when he was 17, he had no regard for the whenua. "But I'm on a different journey and seeing things through different eyes." He urged people to think about their actions. "If your mates are throwing rubbish around, don't go with the flow. Say something and hold each other accountable." ADVERTISEMENT He is making plans to retrieve the couch over the weekend. "Then I'll probably chop it up and take it to the dump." Rubbish dumping can be reported to the council 24/7 on its Pollution Hotline – 0800 108 838. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
