One Plan To Rule Them All: Coast Council Says Juggernaut Can’t Be Stopped

Thursday, 3 April 2025, 7:58 am
Article: Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter

West Coasters will be funding work on the region’s new District Plan for years to come - even though the job of creating it is nearly done.

The West Coast Regional Council heard this week that the council and iwi committee that has led the Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP) project will become a permanent fixture - along with the rates that fund it.

Independent commissioners who heard public submissions on the region’s proposed new planning rules are now writing their recommendations, and large chunks of the plan could be operative by October.

But as West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) chief executive Darryl Lew told councillors, the work will not stop there.

Apart from the inevitable appeals and mediation on the more contentious parts of the Plan, the regional council still had to complete its Air Plan, Coastal Plan, and Land and Water Plan, and all those would have to be integrated into the TTPP.

“We are pretty well positioned resource-wise for those regional plans, but the big thing that’s new for us and Regional Councils across the country is a spatial plan and that’s a brand-new thing.”

Spatial planning was traditionally District Council work, but the Government wanted Regional Councils to do it, Mr Lew said.

“We have to do that; we have to resource it, and unless we keep on the TTPP team and the targeted rate that goes with it, there is still a resourcing issue there which we’re not funded for.”

The TTPP rate levied by the Regional Council pays for the planners and other experts needed to write the rules, as well as committee and administration costs.

“I think there is a conversation we need to have with our District Councils, on how we resource that, and how we might fund it going forward,” Mr Lew said.

The WCRC was in the best position of any Regional Council in the country, being just a few months away from having one district plan for the region, barring appeals.

“The new government reform wants one District Plan for each of the regions and we are about ready to do that. And all the rest of the Regional Councils around the country haven’t even thought about that yet - they haven’t even started the process."

That was going to be very challenging for some of the larger regions with multiple district councils and iwi, Mr Lew said.

“I acknowledge there are still tensions and disagreement around parts of (our) Plan but the majority of the TTPP is actually beneficial and not really being contested.”

'This plan is a disaster'

Regional councillor Allan Birchfield said he disagreed.

“I think this Plan is a disaster and it should be paused … the cost, we’re up to eight to 10 million dollars and we’re not even anywhere near through it.”

The restrictions the TTPP would put on people were not good, Cr Birchfield said.

“If I have anything to do with the next council I’ll be looking at chucking the whole thing out or at least pausing it. “

WCRC chair Peter Haddock said a lot of people did not understand that the Regional Council had been ordered by the government to run the TTPP – and the plan had been formulated over several years by representatives of every iwi and council on the West Coast, including Cr Birchfield.

“Lots of people are waiting for the outcomes of that plan – it needs to be out there so work as normal can carry on. There’s lots of people held up by planning issues - the sooner it’s out the better,” Cr Haddock said.

The existing District Plans were out of date and if the TTPP was somehow tossed out, the three District Councils would have to start the entire process again, at a cost of up to $7 million each, he warned.

Ngati Waewae rep Francois Tumahai told Cr Birchfeld he doubted the TTPP process could actually be stopped.

“The problem is we been ordered by the government to do it. I agree some parts of it, you are right but a lot of it that’s really quite good."

Cr Birchfield said he believed the TTPP could be stopped.

“We control the money. Cut the money off and that’s the end of it.”

Resource Management Chair Brett Cummings said that would leave the Coast in limbo.

“Because then no-one’s got a Plan or knows what the rules are. There are lots of rules on subdivision, that need to go through because a lot of people are hanging out waiting for them. So we can’t hold them up any more.”

It would be up to future councils to deal with the contentious parts of the TTPP, Cr Cummings said.

Council boss: We must stick with plan

Cr Birchfield objected that the TTPP had been written under legislation - the RMA - that the government was planning to discard.

But Council CEO Darryl Lew said the council was legally bound to continue as they have been ordered to do it, with sign off by the Governor General.

"This new government has not rescinded that. In fact this government has doubled down on that and actually wants One District Plans for every region.”

People wanted the TTPP to move to its next ‘decision’ phase due to the shortage of new housing on the West Coast as the mining sector grew, he said.

“In the TTPP we have opened up areas for residential housing zonings … and developers are watching that .. so they can with confidence go and build some houses."

The Government’s RMA reforms were at least 18 months away, Mr Lew said.

Cr Haddock said while the TTPP now relied on the RMA, there would be a ‘rolling review’ of its provisions as the legislation changed.

“As those changes come in, they will take effect in Plan. If the government changes, who knows? Do you wait forever or change as you go along?"

The TTPP committee decided it would review the Plan as it went along, Cr Haddock said.

Cr Peter Ewen reminded Cr Birchfield that he would not be able to toss out the TTPP on his own.

“You’re going to need the other six (regional councillors) to help you. I don’t think that’s going to happen - I’d put money on it.”

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

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