Latest news with #RegionalCouncil


Scoop
7 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Damned Either Way: West Coast Business Owner On River Threat
An Okarito businessman says the risk that the famous lagoon and its wildlife will be wiped out by the Waiho River is just one of many environmental risks his South Westland community lives with. Okarito Kayaks owner Barry Hughes says he had a sleepless night after reading comments yesterday [Tuesday] by Westland mayor Helen Lash, about the potential threat to Lake Mapourika and ultimately Okarito, as the unruly Waiho pushes into the nearby Tartare River. 'But I don't believe at this point there is much that can be done about it. This isn't something we can control – this is nature, and on the list of threats to living here from the natural environment, this is only one of them.' Mrs Lash says a $2.8 million stopbank extension planned to protect her council's sewerage plant will do nothing to stop the Waiho River heading right, threatening State Highway 6, powerlines, farmland, and nearby lakes. The Westland mayor has suggested the Regional Council should try to steer the wild river away from the north bank and the Tartare by bulldozing a deep channel or gut down the middle of its sprawling bed. Mr Hughes, who has served on the West Coast Conservation Board, says all the reports on the Waiho over the years conclude 'river training' as it is known, would in the end be futile. 'It's just not physically possible to confine that river to its bed given the rate of aggradation. The modelling showed we'd have to build walls 14 metres higher by 2050 if we wanted to try. And there is not enough rock in all of South Westland to do that." The West Coast Regional Council's plan to shore up existing stopbanks, hold the line for the next ten years, then gradually release the river to the south over its natural flood plain was the realistic option, long-term, Mr Hughes said. The Waiho's avulsion into the Tartare had become rapid at the end of last year, switching focus from the at-risk south bank to the north, he said. 'There's ecological threats there but also threats to road access alongside Lake Mapourika - there's nowhere else for State Highway 6 to go and that has to be a concern for NZTA." 'I think no matter what's done there, someone is going to be damned so to speak - damned if they do and damned if they don't. ' Accepting risk - including the risk that his kayak business would be wiped out by flood – or the overdue Alpine Fault rupture -was just part of living on the West Coast, Mr Hughes said. 'It's a choice - both a threat and an opportunity. If you think about why people come here it's because of this incredible natural environment. 'But that's created by this rapidly changing geo-morphological landscape - the rising river beds, the rising mountains, the receding glaciers." 'It's a large reason why we're here at Okarito. We're going to wrap up warm and go and sit out on the beach tonight and have a fire with a bunch of local kids all sitting around – there's not that many places you can still do that." The West Coast Regional Council has been approached for comment.

RNZ News
18-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Independent commissioners approve sand mine for 16 years near Hokitika
The West Coast Regional Council will now focus on compliance and monitoring of the resource consent conditions. Photo: Joppi/ 123rf Consent has been granted for a new sand mine near Hokitika. An independent panel of commissioners unanimously approved consent for Westland Mineral Sands' mineral sand ore extraction at the Mananui mine for 16 years. The site is about eight kilometres from Hokitika and will cover 112 hectares. The West Coast Regional Council said the panel's decision concluded the formal consent application process on behalf of the company, and the council would now focus on compliance and monitoring of the resource consent conditions. The panel was selected by the regional council and Westland District Council. In 2023, Gene Wilson, who lives across the road from the site, told RNZ he was concerned about noise, dust, light pollution, water quality and truck movements. Other neighbours said they did not oppose mining, but had concerns about its potential impact and the loss of tranquillity in the small, peaceful town. Westland Mineral Sands also has a sandmine at Cape Foulwind, near Westport. A petition was launched against the Cape Foulwind mine in 2021, while others appealed the resource consent conditions at the Environment Court. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

RNZ News
16-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Invasive worm species found under Bluff wharf
A Mediterranean fanworm. Photo: Supplied / Environment Southland An invasive species of aquatic worm has been found in Bluff Harbour, and the Southland Regional Council is trying to determine if it has spread. The worm - believed to be a Mediterranean fanworm - was found under the town's wharf during routine surveillance earlier this month. The 59-centimetre specimen was found at a depth of five metres. The Mediterranean fanworm. Photo: Supplied / Environment Southland Environment Southland spokesperson David Adamson said an established colony could displace native species and threaten fisheries. "We're unclear if the marine pest is more widespread in Bluff waters, so we're planning further surveys to confirm its spread as a part of response planning." Adamson has asked the public to report any suspected sightings. Mediterranean fanworm is a segmented marine worm that forms dense colonies, and attaches to solid structures such as wharf pilings and aquaculture equipment. It has a long, leathery tube that is pale brown with a muddy appearance and extends a spiral fan of yellow-orange filaments to collect food. "Our goal at the moment is to establish whether it is Mediterranean fanworm and if it has spread," Adamson said. "We want the public to continue to be vigilant and report sightings, as well as ensure their gear and hulls are clean. "We also need to know if this pest is elsewhere in Southland." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

RNZ News
15-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
West Coast Regional Council chair defends rate rises
West Coast Regional Council chair Peter Haddock. Photo: LDR / Lois Williams The West Coast Regional Council is defending its rate rises, and contesting figures put out by Taxpayers' Union showing the council topped the country for rate hikes over the past three years. Council chair Peter Haddock said the figures were flawed. The West Coast Regional Council's [WCRC] total rates increase this year was in fact 18 percent - higher than the Taxpayers Union figure of 12 percent, he said. The council itself previously reported the increase as 12 percent, but the figure did not include targeted rates and charges for Civil Defence and the new District Plan. But the total rate rise over three years was lower than the Taypayers' Union figure of 65 percent, Haddock said. "Our cumulative rate increase was more than 10 percent less than that … it was still high at 55 percent over three years but there are very good reasons why Coast rates have increased," he said. The council had previously started to fail on delivering mandatory work programmes because of cost cutting in previous years, and it was running an unbalanced budget, using mining bond deposits and prudent flood protection reserves held on behalf of ratepayers, to cover operational costs, Haddock said. "As a council, we couldn't continue this approach which amounted to kicking the can down the road," he said. "It would mean the next generation had to pay for unbalanced budgets just to make increases in WCRC rate requirements look better on paper." The cost of administering the new combined District Plan had also landed on the regional council, along with the cost of upgrading flood protection for Westport, Franz Josef and Hokitika. "I know West Coasters are doing it tough, and I know average incomes for many people are considerably less than the rest of the country. But I also know kicking the can along isn't good business practice," Haddock said. The impact of the 18 percent rate rise on individual ratepayers would vary. "Those with properties with a higher capital value will pay more rates than those with a lower capital value, that is fair." "We will not … live beyond our means. The government expects us to be financially prudent, and more importantly, so do Coasters. We've worked hard to rebuild council and ensure it is positioned to deliver for the community." The WCRC's job was to create the environment for the community and businesses to thrive, the chair said. "Our environment is dynamic … we've been investing heavily in flood protection work to ensure our communities remain safe and businesses can keep operating." Striking the right balance between development and management of effects was difficult when those effects took a long time to appear or were not fully understood, but the council had to ensure future generations did not have to pay for its mistakes, Haddock said. As the council completed the flood protection schemes, the costs passed on to the community would significantly reduce, he said. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'A miracle it ended with only minor wounds': IDF soldier wounded by accidental fire from Gaza
A bullet fired from the Gaza Strip lightly wounded an IDF soldier near the Sha'ar Hanegev Junction on Sunday. A bullet fired from Gaza hit an IDF vehicle carrying a soldier near the Sha'ar Hanegev Junction on Sunday, the IDF said. According to preliminary information provided to the regional council, the fire was likely accidental and came from IDF troops inside Gaza. The incident resulted in only a minor injury to the soldier and slight damage to the vehicle. The head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Uri Epstein, responded sharply to the incident: 'We view this incident with great seriousness. I spoke with the division commander a few minutes ago and demanded to receive the full results of the military investigation and to know what actions will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. I stress that there is no change to the military directives in the area—but it's clear that an event like this cannot be allowed to happen again.' According to Epstein, although the wound was minor, the incident highlights the fragility of the security situation on the ground. He used the opportunity to criticize the state's decision to lift security restrictions in the area: 'The state has determined that there is no longer a security issue in returning to the border communities, but it is not here to understand the consequence of its decisions. We will not accept endangering lives in the council's territory. We call on all security officials and decision-makers to come to the area and ensure firsthand that the safety of our residents is fully protected.' It is worth noting that just two weeks ago, the Israeli government approved, based on the Defense Ministry's recommendation, the removal of security restrictions from 12 of the Gaza border communities, effective on July 1, 2025. These include Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nirim, Nir Oz, Sufa, Netiv Ha'asara, Nir Yitzhak, Kerem Shalom, Ein Hashlosha, Nahal Oz, Kissufim, and Holit. The decision enables the full return home of citizens and allows preparation for the upcoming school year within the communities themselves. At the same time, the Tekuma Authority announced that reconstruction and renovation work had been completed in Kerem Shalom, Re'im, Nirim, and Ein Hashlosha. Still, many residents and local leaders in the Gaza border communities continue to express reservations about the decision, demanding assurances that the area is truly safe for permanent return. In the meantime, the question continues to echo throughout the region: Is it really time to come home, or is the government acting too hastily in its decisions?