Greymouth community meeting
10 October 2005
National Environmental Standards
Air quality
Are wetbacks banned? (No)
Drinking water
- We clarified that the definition for ‘water supply’ is greater than 25 people.
- There are catchment approach issues for farming.
General comments
- How do you put a National Policy Statement in for local issues like Significant Natural Areas (SNA’s)?
- What does MFE really think about buying Significant Natural Areas, especially if it is really that important to New Zealand. MFE says that this would be done on a case by case basis. Regional councils do this already. Can this be done under RMA and at what level? Then local councils have a range of mechanisms for protection (e.g. trusts and biodiversity fund etc).
- District plans allow slow filling in of the wetlands. MFE questions surely this requires a consent as this cannot be done under regional council rules.
- Filling in has been observed. The council calls it dumping and put up a sign saying, ‘It is easy to be green if you are not in the red.’
- Regional councils get complaints about works and investigate, but sometimes for consented works (e.g. someone driving by).
- Is there funding for protecting indigenous species? MFE needs to educate private people about the public good of wetland protection.
- Stock grazing into water is a concern. MFE would like to see the West Coast pick up ‘Clean Streams Accord’. Fonterra’s ‘Clean Streams’ is a worry in floodable areas. Fences are gone in the next flood.
- There are concerns that the National Policy Statement for biodiversity would have maps. What about wetlands not in Significant Natural Areas? MFE say that RMA deals with them. If it is not considered to be ‘significant wetland’, it becomes fair game for draining etc.
- Significant Natural Areas focus on the 8% of West Coast that is available (i.e. not mountains).
- If standards come out, will they affect consents? There is a concern that the Wetlands are locked up and might have been earmarked for later development.
- The West Coast pays for the national interest (regarding Wetlands). New Zealand should pay.
- There is tension between national and local decision making.
- Water allocation - There is too much on the West Coast but it could become an issue for some catchments.
- The Department of Conservation is buying land of conservation value (or vice versa). Is there enough money for this? Is the existing investment taken into account regarding renewing leases of Department of Conservation land?
Resource Management Act
Resource consents
- Changes to the RMA will make the process easier as it will stop submitters wasting time and being unprepared. Having no need to consult will speed the process up.
- The Department of Conservation holds up the consent process. It will not help the process move along. It is slow to respond or compromise. Hierarchical problems make their process slow.
- The ability to strike out frivolous submitters will help.
General comments
- There is a connection between the RMA and the Historic Places Act. Historic Places Trust approval is only for 5 years while resource consents are for 35 years. The council should not consider historic sites. It should just refer to the Historic Places Trust for approval when doing work.
- The RMA should allow growth though sometimes conditions prevent this from happening.
- Should the West Coast have to protect the wetlands for the rest of the country at the expense of regional growth? If it is that important then central government should buy them?
- Maps and inventories should include the Department of Conservation land not just private land. Although if there is a certain ecosystem already protected on Department of Conservation land then maybe there is no need to protect on private land also.
- It would be a good idea to send out some of the information on roadshow topics before the meetings take place so that people can be more prepared as they have some information about the issues that are going to be discussed.
- Councils may be reluctant to make decisions because the cost of making that decision is too high (e.g. prosecuting or defending decisions in court could lead to a rates increase).
- What ability is there to get assistance from MFE or similar?
Last updated: 17 September 2007
