Laura Mills

If the Government paid to shift people off the flooded south bank at Franz Josef landowners living beside the sea and in flood plains all over the country would be seeking the same, West Coast...

Forest & Bird has described rubbish-strewn South Westland beaches as possibly the ''biggest coastal eco-disaster since the Rena oil spill''.

Power was restored to Haast early yesterday, six days after one of the biggest recorded floods in the Haast River damaged the town's hydro scheme.

South Westland is still mopping up after this week's once-in-a-century storm, and a state of emergency remained in place yesterday.

Three hundred tahr are to be culled and fed to kea in an attempt to keep the endangered native parrots away from an aerial 1080 poison drop in the hills behind Whataroa.

An influx of boaties in South Westland, some inspired by YouTube videos of bumper catches, are keeping the Haast-based honorary fishing officer busy this year.

Mother Nature 1, Westland 0 - that was the verdict yesterday as Fox Glacier residents started pondering the reality of life in the tourist village without foot or road access to the glacier.

The Department of Conservation plans to spend $12million this year on rodent control with 1080 poison as it fights a "mega'' beech mast fruiting season.

In a major blow to Fox Glacier tourism, the access road to the glacier has been wiped out by a major landslip, just weeks after the last repairs costing $430,000.

The West Coast District Health Board has launched a full investigation after confidential patient information concerning 300 patients from Grey Base Hospital was found in a Christchurch suburb.

The recent addition of cellphone coverage in remote parts of South Westland has also introduced the area to a problem experienced everywhere - people driving while on the phone.

After almost five decades teaching, mostly in South Westland, Hilary Millard has finally called it a day, having made many happy memories.

West Coast Regional Council chairman Andrew Robb says his council's stance on the proposed Zero Carbon Bill is not embarrassing for the region, and he has had e-mails in support.

The mayors of Westland and Grey are standing firm on their councils' provision of freedom camping sites, and say they are getting tourists out of the bush and into a toilet.

The new freedom camping sites established by the Grey and Westland district councils are hurting - if not killing - their rate-paying businesses, campground owners say.

It is still under construction and 10 months away from opening, but the Paparoa Track has made the New York Times list of the top 52 places to go in 2019.