Cost Shock: West Coast Plan Expenses Released

Saturday, 29 March 2025, 5:36 am
Article: Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter

The council and iwi group leading the West Coast’s one plan project have been given a detailed breakdown of its costs - after lamenting a budget blowout last month.

The lengthy – and expensive - process of writing a combined District Plan for the region (Te Tai o Poutini Plan) is drawing to a close after independent commissioners heard final public submissions last week.

At its February meeting, TTPP committee members were dismayed to hear that the commissioner and consultants’ costs had risen to $1.1m, more than twice the budget estimate.

And by September the project – ordained by the Government – will have cost ratepayers a projected $8.4 million.

“How did we get it so wrong? Who signed off on this?” and “How did this gallop away on us?” members asked.

Project manager Jo Armstrong provided a comprehensive answer at Friday’s meeting.

The TTPP committee itself had appointed the Hearings Commissioners and approved their hourly rate, she reminded members.

All contractor and consultant contracts worth more than $50,000 had been brought to the TTPP committee for approval.

All invoices were reviewed by Ms Armstrong and the Regulation and Policy Manager of the West Coast Regional Council, which was tasked with administering the TTPP project by the Government.

The time spent and expenses submitted had been deemed actual and reasonable throughout the project, Ms Armstrong said.

“Finance reports summarising the costs incurred for the period have been presented to the TTPP committee and been unanimously approved by each meeting.”

Since hearings began in 2023 through to the end of January this year, Hearing Commissioner fees totalled $1,036,797, Ms Armstrong reported.

That included hourly fees for preparation and attendance at hearings, site visits related to submissions, conferencing, decisions recommendation and Minute writing, administration, TTPP staff liaison, and travel time.

The cost was considered a fair reflection of the time spent on these, Ms Armstrong said.

Expenditure for travel, including for flights, rental cars, petrol, accommodation and meals was coded separately and cost $77, 122.

The amount did not include alcohol, she said.

Over 15 months, the five Commissioners held 50 days of hearings, travelled widely up and down the Coast to inspect areas critical to the new plan, clocking up 137 nights’ accommodation.

The project had also needed to hire consultants and contractors, costing $1.8 million to date, Ms Armstrong reported.

That covered plan development ($944,326) and work done to assist the Commissioners throughout the hearings ($954,366).

For the writing of the plan, consultants with specialised knowledge had been needed to provide expert advice on topics such as noise contours, SNA identification and flooding risk.

Once the plan was notified, additional planning help was needed to represent TTPP committee at hearings, Ms Armstrong said.

Consultants were selected for their expertise in topics including Mineral Extraction and Natural Hazards.

“Throughout the hearings the Commissioners have also requested further information to help them with their recommendations,” Ms Armstrong reported.

That included confirming overlay boundaries, assessing the impacts of wastewater on rezoning land for development requested by submitters, and testing the impacts of noise levels at airports and rifle ranges on neighbouring properties.

Without that added information the hearings commissioners could not make recommendations on changes the submitters wanted, Ms Armstrong said.

As the Commissioners’ recommendations are released the TTPP committee must decide whether to accept them or reject them in part or in full.

If the committee accepts a recommendation, submitters have 30 days to appeal and resolve the issue through mediation or the Environment Court.

If there are no appeals to a given section, it becomes an operative part of the Plan and applies to resource consent applications from that point.

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

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