Some West Coast landowners are reeling after receiving letters informing them of new legal planning rules affecting their land - leaving the Te Tai o Poutini Plan Committee scrambling today to respond.
Kumara resident Russell Spaan with the TTPP letter which has come as a shock. Photo: LDR / Brendon McMahon
The letters to multiple property owners reveal rules which have immediate effect on their land, around historic heritage, areas of significance to Māori, ecosystems and indigenous biodiversity, natural character and margins of water, activities on the surface of water, and designations.
Kumara residents Russell and Mandy Spaan could not believe their eyes when they received a letter on 18 July, revealing their 10ha block contained sites and areas of significance to Māori. They had never had an inkling until the letter arrived.
"We were wondering what the hell is going on," Spaan said.
He was flummoxed and angry at the news.
"I know nothing about it but when it said 'significance to Māori', I thought, what significance to Māori?"
They attempted to look for their property's specific information on the e-plan but got a computer server error.
They were awaiting a response from the West Coast Regional Council.
Fellow Kumara residents Ian and Leanne Stewart also have a farm that runs along the Taramakau River terrace west of the township.
Leanne said the letter was "shocking" and would "put people on the anti" if they had no prior knowledge.
"It said 'you may have something significant to Māori'... there's nothing we knew of."
It was also unclear how the designation was arrived at, and it seemed premature.
"It's definitely not been thought about enough before they released their information," she said.
Mandy Spaan said the part about 'rules with immediate legal effect' was upsetting.
"It just seems quite a threatening letter," she said.
Te Tai o Poutini Plan chairperson Rex Williams said the letters had immediate legal effect as a requirement of the Resource Management Act (RMA). It had taken many by surprise.
Williams said he wanted to reassure affected landowners many of the provisions would have "little effect".
"Poutini Ngāi Tahu have been careful to respect private property rights, therefore the vast majority of sites and areas of significance to Māori have no rules whatsoever and seek only to highlight a historical connection," Williams said.
For the relatively few sites with rules, the consenting process had been simplified.
"To progress activities on the site, landowners will mostly require only a letter of authority from iwi."
Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons
Across the region, about 10 new historic heritage sites and three designations had been identified in the plan.
Allegations of "land grabs" and devaluing properties "was very much scaremongering" and disappointing, Williams said.
Everyone could submit on the plan up until the end of September.
"If the public want to address errors or think we got it wrong, we urge people to come to our meetings to speak to our team."
Today rural lobby group Groundswell rejected it had been "mischief-making" by claiming aspects of the plan amounted to a land grab.
"How would you feel if you received a letter in the mail completely out of the blue stating that your entire property had been zoned a significant site and that the rules take immediate legal effect?
"Many are in a state of shock, particularly given there was no prior consultation."
Ahaura resident and plan committee member Grey District councillor Anton Becker, whose mother received a similar letter, said it was "not as bad as it looks".
However, perception was clearly an issue.
"I've had a lot of people ringing me up about [the letters]. There's a lot of concern out there. It just needs further explanation on what you can and can't do," Becker said.
*Disclosure: Te Runanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick, a member of the TTPP Committee, is also the editor of the Greymouth Star. He took no part in the commissioning, writing or editing of this LDR story.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
