Latest news with #PeterHaddock
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
West Coast Regional Rates Rise 12 Percent – But Wait There's More
The West Coast Regional Council has approved a budget for the year that will see its general rate take rise by 12 per cent. But additional levies for Civil Defence and the new Tai o Poutini District Plan will boost many rate bills higher. The council adopted its 2025-2026 Annual Plan at a special meeting in Greymouth this morning. (Tues 24/6). The financial statements show the council will collect $14.3 million from the region's ratepayers this year, slightly less than the amount it allowed for in the Long Term Plan. Chair Peter Haddock says the council is not yet in a position to start repaying debt, but is now living within its budget and expects to return a surplus in two years' time. 'We inherited a shambles when we came in, and we were flying blind with the finances, but we now have a great corporate team and we are on track to get back into the black.' Discussion about how rate increases are presented to the public became heated when Cr Allan Birchfield queried the figure of 12 percent. If the increased levies for Civil Defence and the region's combined One Plan were factored in, the true rate rise would be 18.92 percent, and he would vote against it, he said. Council chief Executive Darryl Lew said the rationale for not including those charges in calculating the regional rate rise was that they were targeted rates. These were levied by the Regional Council on behalf of the District Councils and were separated out to make that transparent, he said. 'You wanted your vote recorded against the LTP (long-term plan) and it's not surprising that you are voting against this today because we're in line with the LTP that the rest of your colleagues voted for.' Cr Birchfield confirmed he did not agree with the LTP. The chair said he understood why. 'We had eight, long, hard workshops, went through with staff all the funding that was required to get this organisation back on track. It was a decimated sort of business when we came in here. 'We worked really hard and you chose not to attend any of those meetings; it was an insult to your fellow councillors and a bit of a kick on the guts for the ratepayers actually.' There had been only 25 submissions to the LTP and the council had heard them all, Mr Haddock said. 'You did not attend any of those and then you voted against it … and I find it offensive that you keep bringing it up.' Speaking later, Cr Birchfield said he had not attended the workshops because he had previously been censured and kicked off many council committees, and was tired of turning up and being told to leave. 'The point I was trying to make was that it's misleading to talk about an increase of 12 percent when it's a lot more than that when you add on the TTPP [Tai o Poutini District Plan] and Civil Defence charges.' The council's Corporate Service manager Peter Miller told LDR that ratepayers should not expect an exact 12 per cent hike on their invoices. 'That's the increase in dollars required for Council to deliver its back to basic services to the community at cost. The percentage increase or decrease for ratepayers depends on any change in their property valuation.' The increase in the TTPP levy reflected the growing cost of writing the new plan ordered by the government, Mr Miller said. "As costs have now become clearer with an expected increase in the loan associated with the TTPP work, Council is now passing on these costs to the recipients of this work, the community. For 2025/2026, the Council needed to raise $642,810 from the targeted TTPP rate. 'Council recognises this is a significant increase compared to 2023/2024 when costs were estimated at that stage,' Mr Miller said. Costs associated with emergency management had gone up as well, to cover an additional staff position and overheads. 'We recognise we need to do more to ensure community welfare and recovery from an event. "Consequently our costs associated with emergency management are increasing 25% for 2025/2026.' Other targeted rates were as agreed with the rating district committees for flood protection schemes. The council agreed to stick with the rate of $150,000 agreed with the joint Franz Josef rating district committee, despite new information, showing that maintenance and regular inspections of the town's new floodwalls would cost $262,487 for the year. The additional funds would have to come from the districts prudent reserve, and the rate would have to be increased in the next financial year, the council agreed.
RNZ News
05-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Fate of Franz Josef southbank not ours to decide, regional council says
West Coast Regional Council chair Peter Haddock pictured last August on the newly upgraded north bank floodwall. Photo: Lois Williams / LDR The long-term fate of Franz Josef farms, homes and businesses on the south bank of the Waiho (Waiau) River lies with the Westland District Council. That was the message to regional councillors this week as they prepare to celebrate the completion of the north bank floodwalls protecting the West Coast tourist town of Franz Josef. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones will officially open the multi-million dollar project , funded 60 percent by the government, on Friday morning. The West Coast Regional Council is about to embark on Stage 2 of the project, building stopbanks on the south side of the wild, glacier-fed river. The monthly planning report to the Resource Management Committee noted the Regional Council was making a submission on Franz Josef to the Westland District Council's long- term plan. Regional councillor Allan Birchfield asked what was in it. Planning manager Jo Field responded, saying the Regional Council wanted to see Westland committing resources and budget for a master plan for the future management of the south side. "We felt there wasn't enough (in the long-term plan) given the dangers down there from the Waiho River. Once we've built the (southside) floodwall it's only supposed to have a ten-year life so they need to do some planning around what to do for the future." The vast bed of the Waiho from stopbank, looking west. Photo: Lois Williams / LDR Birchfield asked if the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) was "still pushing" for the south side to be abandoned. "We are pushing for them to do the master planning around that," Field said. Birchfield asked: "That's what you want though? For everyone to be moved out?" WCRC chair Peter Haddock said that was not the council's position. "The council's position is to maintain the floodwalls - it's up to the WDC (Westland District Council) to do any master planning around that. Our role is to provide flood banks as necessary." Birchfield said the plan to abandon the south side was in the WCRC's own long-term plan. Haddock said that was the recommendation made by the council's Technical Advisory Group, not by the council itself. Diggers at work on the stopbank protecting the town, last winter. Photo: Lois Williams / LDR Regional Council chief executive Darryl Lew said despite the completed north side stop banks, and the imminent start of work on the south side, the threat from the river remained. "The fact of the matter is that the Waiho River is continuing to aggrade in the reach below the bridge at a metre plus a year and every year that goes by diminishes the protection of those banks, to point where it's going to pose a risk despite the work you've done." The council could not continue to raise the banks ad infinitum because already the bed of that river was well above the town, Lew said. "We have to give the river some room for all of that sediment that's coming out of the Callery River and out of the main steam below the glacier, to move through the system." Birchfield said the easiest way to do that would be to "knock a hole" through the geological feature known as the Waiho Loop. But Lew said that had been dismissed as unfeasible by the Technical Advisory Group. The Waiho River bed is getting higher by the year, as rock and gravel wash down from the retreating glacier. Photo: Lois Williams / LDR Peter Ewen said Westland mayor Helen Lash had made it clear that her council wanted to take the lead on planning for Franz Josef's future and the ball was in her court. Haddock confirmed that the WCRC's role was only to build walls on behalf of the Franz Josef rating district, and its committee decided what work would be done. Westland councillor Andy Campbell said the biggest problem was that there was no money to buy out the southside property owners, resulting in a stalemate. "So, just wash them out to sea without any compensation?" Birchfield asked. Haddock said the WCRC had lobbied the government about a south side buyout and it was clear there was no money for it. "So we'll just have to wait and see what happens but in the interim there is a plan to protect and hold the line." - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
