Landslip just ‘nature taking its course ‘ Doc tells West Coast council
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A landslip on conservation land that risks triggering a massive washout at Barrytown is just "nature taking its course".
West Coast Regional Council chief executive Heather Mabin relayed the response she had from the Department of Conservation (DOC) to the council this week following a meeting about a slip above the Granite Creek bridge on State Highway 6.
Barrytown resident Roger Reid has previously raised concern about the slip potentially having a major impact on both the highway and the settlement of Barrytown downhill of the bridge.
Reid's property is being eaten away by Granite Creek after a slip on DOC reserve into the creek behind his property a few years caused the creek to alter course.
He feared that if nothing were done the creek could either overtop his property or bypass the bridge and run down through the township.
Cr Brett Cummings raised a similar question at the council's Resource Management Committee meeting this week.
He asked who would be responsible if a tree on DOC land fell into a watercourse, dammed it, diverted it away from any stopbank and then affected adjoining private occupiers.
Mabin said she had sought clarity of that point with DOC.
"I had a conversation with [Western South Island director] Mark Davies of DOC around this particular issue, to do with Granite Creek and the fact that upstream there is a slip on DOC land that has diverted the creek.
"Eventually there's going to be a massive washout of debris ... that's going to go across the NZTA infrastructure, and the creek [bed]below the road is so high. The response was it was 'nature taking its course' and that DOC has numerous kilometres of creeks that border private land and infrastructure."
Mabin said the council approached DOC to try to get traction on the Granite Creek problem and the "pending situation" of the creek breaking out.
"I would suspect it would be much the same response to a tree falling on a stopbank," she said.
Davies was approached for further comment but declined.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.2% Yes
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46.8% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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