West Coast Regional Council leaders were in Wellington yesterday seeking clarity from the government on biodiversity rules and the future of Franz Josef.
Council chairman Peter Haddock and chief executive Darryl Lew were meeting Act New Zealand MP Simon Court.
Mr Court serves as parliamentary undersecretary to Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop, who is also responsible for the Resource Management Act (RMA) reform.
"We urgently need clarity on this because we’re in the middle of hearings on SNAs for our new combined district plan, and we have to know what the government’s stance is."
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard had first stated the government was going to "kick SNAs out" then walked the statement back.
The dilemma for the West Coast was that the Grey district had identified its SNAs 15 years ago while Westland and Buller had not, Mr Haddock said.
"Those SNAs were established through a lawful process and the minister said, ‘we’re going to get rid of them’."
A lot of people probably now thought the SNAs on their land were going to be got rid of in defiance of national and regional policy statements and rules.
"But whether the government is game enough to toss all that out completely, or whether they will just tweak it, we don’t know."
Greymouth Mayor Tania Gibson had asked if the relevant Te Tai o Poutini Plan hearing — for a new combined regional plan — could be suspended until the RMA reforms affecting SNAs were complete.
Mrs Gibson said it would cost her council millions if it had to redo the process under current biodiversity rules.
But Mr Haddock said pausing the plan process could derail it.
"Our hearings commissioners won’t be available in another six months, and we’d have to get new ones.
"Then we’ve got triennial elections coming up next year and there’s no guarantee any of the councillors on that committee [will stay]."
The planners had also advised against stalling the hearings in the hope of more liberal SNA rules.
"They’re saying you can’t just disregard the current law and your own regional policy statement.
"If the government doesn’t pass that legislation we could be challenged in court, facing judicial review from Forest & Bird and million dollar legal bills.
"We can’t disregard the law based on the causal word of one minister who retracted his statement the following day.
"At least, if the government said the existing SNAs are not going to be changed, we could just push on."
The regional council leaders were also hoping for some clarity on funding to protect Franz Josef landowners from the ever-rising Waiho (Waiau) River, Mr Haddock said.
The Labour-New Zealand First government approved funding to upgrade stopbanks on both sides of the river, and work on the northern side protecting Franz Josef township was almost complete.
But the last Labour government withheld the $12 million it had promised for the south bank, with its homes and dairy farms.
The West Coast Regional Council had come back with a plan, based on expert advice that the river would probably "beat" the south side flats in 10 to 15 years’ time.
"The idea is we will release the river slowly from the bottom end, but build up the stopbanks in the meantime to protect people and property."
The work would be co-funded by Franz Josef ratepayers.
"The rating district down there is up for it; we’re shovel ready."
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
By Lois Williams
