04/06/2026
While it's pouring down here: a reminder of objection placed to Council last year... a reminder also to those in parliament, those forming bills, those legal entities... they who should know better:
OBJECTION to all done so far: send back to Central Government over reach:
It's one thing for the Local Water Done Well reform to offer this choice for councils, but that doesn’t mean just any CCO makes sense. DIA coerced Council/s to take three waters tranche funds to spend elsewhere. DIA also continued on spending when National Government were saying they would pull the three waters policy up!. Now to Westland/Grey/Buller WE have also witnessed CCOs / Directors and conflicts of interests within, while we always required core business function.
It’s been 30 years here at Kaniere since we found coliforms within our own drain 20000 coliforms per mil which was straight sewerage! due to Council staff allowing building in nearby area without proper infrastructure but overflows to stormwater (through into our property before we bought it - no info on LIM). WE right here on this property have those files of when Kaniere went into the HOkitika Sewerage Scheme.
Have Council since kept good Asset Management Plans and how on earth to budget if those plans not in place!? Waiho River sewerage ponds were left at risk 2012/13 when Council staff especially and CEO emails confirm the known risks of the river. Infiltration galleries washing out. All while the Council (CCOs) i.e. Property Company and Westroads monies spent down on the Haast Hollyford Roading proposal (I have those transaction details).
Now in the most torrential rain weathers that we get here i.e. Rivers, Creeks, in high rainfalls. Let's take a look at Westland and not the rest of the Country (perhaps Westland provincial even) and realise that we have had the Local Government Commission here who sanctioned the One West Coast Plan. Since then there has been still wasted monies and including Iwi representation. So come back to Directors of Companies - who can we rely on as in Trust for local waters done well being drinking, storm, waste waters. No one better than those with the local knowledge here and that doesn't have to be CCO directors or Iwi directors or any other company director but those with the most skill base.
So Westland, Grey, Buller and West Coast Regional Council - you must all go back to Local Government Commission and too the Local Government Fix It we had here and paid for in 2012/14. Go back to ex Mayor Pugh Council time and her staffing who have let us down and at our expense. Go to Sir John Key and his cycletrail - did he really ask for a Wilderness Trail in the most risk rainfall area causing liability. No and neither did he expect $1 mil clip on bridge cycletrails to be wasted at Teramakau.
Bridges, roading, rivers, lakes, water supplies and sewerage schemes is all we require of a network within that of District Councils and we already have Westroads and Westreef who surely must have the plans (Asset Management). So to get back to unification then too we must rid at least two Council/s so that affordability and accountability is paramount for a low rating base (Westland 7400) and where there is also DOC!! (see our application 2015 to LGC).
Show our people the correct information like the underground pipeworks, the pond facilities, drinking water pipelines instead of playing games with fairylights, fanciful nonsense. You have wasted on playgrounds! and giveaways.
Paying CEOs up near $278k and we have four, plus the CEOs of CCOs is ludicrous enough! without another lot of CCO's CEOs.
I don't have to say much more = it's a ‘get back to Central Government and tell them they've over reached and coming out with ludicrous decisions” (and you are all acting like puppets including our MPs) while monies are going to deep pockets.
We shall form our own waters committees in Westland and it won't cost the elderly or our health care facilities... it will be based on skill factor and intelligence.
So here it is an objection to New Zealand government workings, from Westland long term Pioneer descendants who brought the waterlines out from lakes. This is an objection to overly administrative overheads, government overreaches while our infrastructure needs & health care were always necessary. It comes back to being well informed and not to be ridden roughshod over by those who should know better..... let's apply the Magna Carta and our Common Sense.
Without prejudice.
:Anthea-Rose : Keenan
