1123 days ago

Combined Coast districts plan closing

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

The draft Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP) has drawn over 300 public submissions so far.

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday.

The draft plan -- which combines the Grey, Westland and Buller district plans - was publicly notified in July.

Hearings are expected to be under way by mid-2023.

Plan committee chairperson Rex Williams said the level of submissions was as expected and indicated "a good level of interest".

Planning staff had also fielded a lot of calls from the public. The impact of the plan on individual properties was one thing people had clarified in discussions with staff.

"Submissions range across everything really," Williams said.

Half appeared to be around property zoning and the remainder reflected questions on other zoning aspects of the draft.

For some, the TTPP had been an introduction to the planning process.
He said there had been "one or two mistakes" in the mapping and there was opportunity through the plan committee's own submission to flag anything that needed clarifying.

"Obviously we're leaning over backwards to resolve anything like that."

Williams said some late submissions would be accepted "in exceptional circumstances".

While the deadline for submissions is tomorrow - after already being extended twice - late submissions could be accepted for up to a week later "however they have to be late for a reason".

Exceptional circumstances would include delays because people had been out of the country, had not received the mailout notification, or involved timing issues for community organisations wishing to make a collective submission, he said.

Drafting of the new plan began in 2019 after the Local Government Commission directed the West Coast Regional Council to oversee the process of combining the three plans.

The TTPP Committee was formed as a result of that and is made up of representatives of the four councils and West Coast iwi.

*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air

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Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

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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Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
  • 53.3% Yes
    53.3% Complete
  • 46.7% No
    46.7% Complete
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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!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
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.

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2 days ago

‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...

The Team from New Zealand Police

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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