Potential New Line-up For West Coast Regional Council Post Election

Saturday, 15 March 2025, 9:44 pm
Article: Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter

March 13, 2025

The line-up around the all-male West Coast Regional Council table looks set for some significant changes, five months out from candidate nominations opening.

Only two of the seven councillors have confirmed they will definitely be standing again.

And the Chair, Peter Haddock, is bowing out after just three years on the council.

Mr Haddock was thrust into the leadership role in his first term, after former Chair Allan Birchfield was deposed for allegedly sharing confidential information.

“I’ve been under some pressure to stand again,” Mr Haddock told LDR.

“But I believe it’s time for some younger people to come forward, and hopefully, some women, so we get a good mix on council."

Mr Haddock’s stint in the role has been a challenging one, marked at times by testy exchanges with Cr Birchfield, who has protested his exclusion from most council committees.

The outgoing chair says he is looking forward to some less stressful years.

“I’ve done 18-years in local government, and that’s about enough - there are other things to do in life,” Cr Haddock, who was previously a Grey District councillor, says.

Cr Birchfield says he has considered stepping down as well but, at this point, he is undecided.

“I’m still thinking about it. I’ll only stand again if I can get some support. I’m outnumbered six to one in this council.”

The former Chair says the experience of being deposed and censured by his fellow councillors, has been a gruelling one.

“It’s been pretty horrible, being dumped as chairman, kicked off committees; being told to get away from the table or the police would be called ... after 20 years on the council I think I should have been shown more respect.”

But if he can muster a ticket of like-minded candidates, Cr Birchfield says he will have a crack at keeping his council seat.

The highest-polling councillor in the last elections, Peter Ewen, is also undecided about standing.

After seven terms on the WCRC, the council veteran is now weighing up whether to go for an eighth.

Family matters will be a factor in his decision, he says.

Councillor Mark McIntyre, representing Buller, is another ‘undecided’.

“I haven’t actually given it much thought yet."

Cr McIntyre’s term on the Regional Council has been his first experience in local government, and one he describes - cautiously - as ‘interesting’.

Anyone considering standing should be prepared to put in the time, he says.

“It’s definitely full on. It takes about a day a week to keep up with the work; the reading you need to do as a councillor.”

Buller’s second representative, Cr Chris Coll, seems a probable candidate at this point.

The WCRC’s newest councillor was appointed by the council last month on an interim basis to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Buller Cr Frank Dooley.

Cr Coll says if he feels he’s made a useful contribution and made a difference by September he will stand for election.

The two councillors who have made up their minds to stand again are Westland’s Andy Campbell, and Brett Cummings, representing the Grey District.

Cr Campbell says he’s up for a second term - in the interests of continuity.

“Someone’s got to stay. There’s a fair bit of water to go under the bridge yet."

The Harihari farmer took legal action against the council for its failure to repair a stopbank on his land, before the Wanganui River broke through and destroyed half his pasture.

“Getting our rivers under control – it’s our main job, protecting land and roads - and how we can afford it as farmers and ratepayers.”

And the council’s deputy chair Brett Cummings simply said “yes” in reply to LDR’s inquiry about his election intentions.

Candidate nominations open on July 4 and close August 1 at midday. Voting papers are delivered in September.

-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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