Latest news with #WestCoasters
Otago Daily Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Council defends three-year rates rise of 55%
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 chairman Peter Haddock says the figures are flawed. The West Coast Regional Council's [WCRC] total rates increase this year was in fact 18% — higher than the Taxpayers Union figure of 12%, he said. The council itself previously reported the increase as 12%, 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 Taxpayers' Union figure of 65%, Mr Haddock said. "Our cumulative rate increase was more than 10% less than that ... it was still high at 55% 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, Mr Haddock said. The cost of administering the new combined district plan had also landed on the 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," Mr Haddock said. The impact of the 18% 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. 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, Mr 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. - By Lois Williams
Hamilton Spectator
16-07-2025
- Science
- Hamilton Spectator
Algae bloom turns coastal waters off Vancouver Island tropical blue
Vancouver Island, BC - Some West Coasters say it reminds them of herring spawn. Others say it mirrors the milky blue of glacial waters or the warm palette of a tropical lagoon. The phenomenon taking place off the coast of Vancouver Island is called a coccolithophore bloom, and according to researchers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, B.C., it's happening more frequently since the heatwaves and El Nino events that started in 2015. 'These blooms usually follow an intense heat or warming event,' said Moira Galbraith, a DFO zooplankton taxomist, in an email. The turquoise blue waters are so bright you can see them from space. DFO researchers have been following the bloom for several weeks via Sentinel Satellite pictures from the Copernicus Program, the Earth Observation component of the European Union's space program. 'From the pictures you can see the bloom developing along the coast, especially Nitinat Lake,' said Galbraith. Coccolithophores are a non-toxic microscopic protist, a type of phytoplankton with a calcareous shell made from a little sphere of calcium carbonate. 'This material is reflective, making the water appear blue/white as it reflects the sunlight through the water. Extensive blooms occur when the surface waters become quite warm and nutrient depleted,' said Galbraith. The DFO scientist explained that coccolithophores are mixotrophs; they ingest carbon dioxide via sunlight (photosynthesis) to produce oxygen as a by product and will eat other phytoplankton. 'This makes them able to take advantage of nutrient poor, warm water with poor water mixing. Most blooms start in an embayment or inlet with restricted circulation,' said Galbraith. Laura Griffith-Cochrane, a marine biologist and the executive director of the Ucluelet Aquarium, says her team hasn't seen any behavioural changes amongst the fish that reside in the catch-and-release facility. Visitors can see the bloom up close from within the tanks. 'It's so, so tiny. We can't filter it out. Whatever is happening in the harbour is happening in (the aquarium). But it's also a great food source for a lot of organisms, so it's not a bad thing. A lot of our filter feeders are really stoked,' she said. The water used in the Ucluelet Aquarium is drawn from right outside in the Ucluelet harbour. Each day, the aquarium filters 250 gallons per minute into their exhibits. 'We have noticed our dissolved oxygen levels have decreased, probably because in the process of making their little plaques they're using oxygen molecules as well,' said Griffith-Cochrane of the phytoplankton. 'A lot of the things that are eating them are feasting right now [and] are also using quite a bit of oxygen as well. We haven't seen the dissolved oxygen levels go to a point where we should be concerned.' 'We are connected to the ecosystem. What happens out there, happens in here. It highlights that responsibility that we have to take care of the whole space that we share with everybody. I think a lot of people forget about that when they are living in places were they can't see those connections as easily,' she continued. Unlike some toxic algae blooms that can be harmful to marine life and human health, Griffith-Cochrane says coccolithophore is 'one that we don't have to worry about for our health.' When the bloom dies off, the calcium carbonate sinks to the bottom of the ocean, removing some of the carbon from the surface waters into sediment, according to DFO. The White Cliffs of Dover along the coastline of England, for example, are chalk coloured as a result of the calcite made from the remains of coccolithophores. 'It just falls to the ocean floor. It fertilizes the ocean,' Griffith-Cochrane echoed. 'I think it's pretty special. I keep anticipating that it's going to go away and it's still here.' DFO says most fish can avoid the coccolithophore bloom as it is only in the very surface of the water, but the bloom may irritate gills if numbers are large enough and the fish are unable to move away. -30- Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
West Coast Regional Council Chair Defends Rate Rises
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.
Otago Daily Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Revamped deal spells out iwi role in resource consenting
The revised version clarifies and strengthens the role of manawhenua in resource consenting and has drawn objections from the council's former chair Cr Allan Birchfield who first signed the document in 2020. Cr Birchfield has argued that the intention was to consult the rūnanga on matters important to them, rather than require their approval for every resource consent, which he claims is happening now. The original agreement says the council will process resource consents in a way that appropriately recognises the effects of activities on Poutini Ngāi Tahu. The revised clause goes further. 'The parties agree that to ensure timely, efficient and cost-effective resource consent processing, applicants and planners must both recognise and provide for the rights, interests and values of Poutini Ngāi Tahu as manawhenua.' That is consistent with the principles of the Resource Management Act (RMA), the draft says. 'As such, the council will treat Poutini Ngāi Tahu as an affected party for all applications for resource consent where there is potential for adverse cultural effects, unless it is demonstrated otherwise.' A new clause, added to the agreement, states that the Council will strongly encourage consent applicants to consult the rūnanga early on, through their environmental entities, Poutini Environmental or Pokeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu. 'Where consultation has not occurred, and a written approval letter has not been supplied, the Council will need to consider limited notification ... to Poutini Ngāi Tahu which can result in increased processing time and costs for applicants." The draft also spells out how the Council will support monitoring by manawhenua. 'Achieving a culturally relevant monitoring programme will require dedicated and consistent resourcing for Pokeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu Limited ... a specific funding agreement dedicated to environmental cultural monitoring will be needed before this programme can commence." WCRC chief executive Darryl Lew said last month the agreement and its protocol document, Paetae Kotahitanga ki Te Tai Poutini, were still fit for purpose and needed only minor changes. Because the council had been through some turbulent times with changes of leadership, key pieces of work had not been done including its practical implementation and the five year review was the opportunity to do that, he said. Cr Birchfield has argued that the agreement effectively gives iwi a sign-off right that was not intended by the RMA and has added to the delays and costs of obtaining resource consents on the West Coast. In a supplied statement he said the changes were far from minor. 'The role of Ngāi Tahu is strengthened to having, effectively, the same functions and powers as local government in certain areas.' However, Ngāi Tahu was not accountable to West Coasters in the same way as local government was, Mr Birchfield said. A particular issue in the agreement was the use of the term, "joint planning' which elevated Ngāi Tahu to the same level as the council, Mr Birchfield said. The changed proposal moved the region towards co-governance, and if Ngāi Tahu were to have a greater role in regional government, West Coast electors should be consulted on the changes by way of a referendum, Cr Birchfield said. The Regional Council says the changed wording in the agreement confers no additional powers on Ngāi Tahu but clarifies the existing rights of manawhenua under the RMA and the Treaty of Waitangi, and operational processes for council staff. During a meeting in May, Ngāti Waewae representative Francois Tumahai defended the iwi's current role in resource consenting. [ Tumahai said the rūnanga were required to give feedback on consent conditions. 'The decision is still made by the consents team on council. We don't make a decision on it,' The new document with the changes outlined, is available on the WCRC website in the agenda for today's council meeting. The Council this morning agreed to hold some clauses over for further advice and clarity, and the meeting continues this afternoon. - By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter
Otago Daily Times
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
New show to feature South, encourage connection with whenua
Kahurangi Mahuika sits in Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau/Sinclair Wetlands during the filming of upcoming show Nomad. PHOTO: ALEX BRADSHAW / FIRE FIRE PRODUCTIONS The face of an upcoming programme showcasing Māori across Te Waipounamu (the South Island) hopes it will encourage all people to connect to the land. Tonight the show, called Nomad, will premiere on Whakaata Māori and online platform MĀORI+. The show follows Kahurangi Mahuika, a young Māori nomad, as he explores the South with his family and pursues a life lived off the land, just as his tīpuna did. Through his journey, Kahurangi meets people from places all over Te Waipounamu who are living self-sufficiently. Episode four takes Otago and Southland viewers to the familiar Taieri Plains in Otago, then down to the Ōtapiri area in Southland. Mr Mahuika said the episode, partially set in the Sinclair Wetlands, would see him catching up with a cousin named Tumai Cassidy, who was leading a project focused on restoration of ancestral land returned to Kāi Tahu. "It was awesome just to see the whenua, see what their project is doing — they have a massive range from nurseries to breaking down whale blubber ... and trying to bring the biodiversity of their wetlands [back] to their former glory." He said they were showcasing a lifestyle alternative to the classic "go to school to go to university, get a job and eventually retire" social norm. "I would love to think we could help inspire more of our young people, our Māori people and all people to be more conscious of the environment and the lifestyle that they lead. "We can create something beautiful with balance — it takes sacrifice, but at the end of the day it is worth it," he said. Mr Mahuika first made connections to the series creator — Alex Bradshaw from Fire Fire Productions — when filming another show called West Coasters, which chronicles the way of life for Māori living along the West Coast of New Zealand. "I jumped in on that kaupapa ... I was on their series for a couple of episodes, nothing major." After that, Mr Bradshaw asked if Mr Mahuika if he would like to collaborate on something in the future — and a few years later Nomad was born. "They designed this show ... as a thought or a whakaaro around a Māori family in the South Island, and how they connect to the land."
