Hello once again readers. I have a feeling that I am coming to the end of my book. It has detailed my experiences from within the “Lions Den”. Horizons Regional Council. Firstly as a councilor, and then from the out side as a knowledgeable commentator.
I think back to those first day(s) when I got absolute crap from one particular councilor, who quietly got told by the Chair Garry Murfitt. “David .He is wright”. He did not know what was in the plan. He had not read it, and the reason was because council signed off on large sections of various chapters that were incomplete. They were told what was supposed to be in it but only to find .. Well you now know. The chap went on to do a good job of supporting the Hearings Chair on N Limits and Discharges Ms Allin in that the straight out cut in productive capacity was changed to a limit on productive capacity. Of course I will take some credit in that I had dinner with Joan the night before the first hearing, and she was eager to hear my interpretation of the plan. Shhhh.The constant jibes and effort by then councilor Guy to put me down at every opportunity was unrelenting. The effort a one term councilor from Wanganui, Cr Cox was determined and ultimately successful, in that he undermined my support. Granted I may not have helped my self in one or 2 instances, particularly in my interpretation of council process whilst trying to stop a resolution from being passed. and of course the Taringamotu Stream bank protection scheme I drove. That cost me. But funny enough only last month I hear stirrings from farmers in the catchment talking of a very large land claim. Yes that was the reason I drove it. To head off Maoridoms cultural concerns.
Why I even caught the local Feds President, Ms Neeson ,head down out of sight behind the person in front with her finger just visible voting against. We had to have another vote. A particularly nasty piece of work. Took me a while to get to understand who’s side she was on. And thus the Feds.
Well Jill White was a very nice political extremist whose role was to drive the Plans from within. She was the Queen. A very nice lady. We got on well. Enjoyed the battle with her. When she lost the Proposed One Plan .N limits and Discharges that morning in June 2013 and report 13-124 was rolled she looked shell shocked. Composed, confused. Council Criminal Lawyer Ben Van Der what ever, was there very early. He came down from the CEO,s offices. Saw me and came over. Mike. Good to see you. Huge smile on his face. Shook my hand. I was very surprised. I had not met him personally, only as a councilor around the table. I asked .What are you here for. Just a wee matter Mike. Tapped his nose, and said I must get a cup of tea and get back to it. I shit my self for the rest of the morning thinking I was going to be chucked in jail by Cr Guy or something.
The rest of the council always sat there ,nodded their heads, ate their lunch, and held their hands out on Wednesday. Hugely frustrating.
Staff. Some good ones there. Some real bad ones. The lies that were told to councilors and rate payers were horrendous. Councilor’s sat there and said nothing. Nodded their heads, ate their lunch and held their hands out on Wednesday.
I have a number of computer disks on statements made by staff at meetings. Most useless. I soon found that if I got the good stuff on the day of the request it was good. If I had to wait a week or 3 it had been cut.
Well the Environment Court Decision. Environmental Defense Society v Horizons Regional Council is out. 4th April. And as I said last month the EDS cleaned up big time. Where to from here. My understanding is that a plan change is eminent . There it is in para 186 pg 54 or so. The hearing panel, 2 commissioners and Judge Thompson state. By Horizons own admission that the plans implementation was unlawful, then council should have moved a plan change. When I first read it I got a rush of blood to the head and thought it read, the development of the Plans was unlawful. But no such luck. So Council will be under huge pressure from the appellant’s to implement the Proposed One Plans table 13.2 and it nutrients limits. Going to be a interesting period going forward. But nobody wants to use our Advisory Group project as yet.
The Whanganui River Settlement for Land is coming to a close. My view. The Office of Treaty Settlements advertised in a recent local paper for submissions to. RURUKU WHAKTUTUPUA TE MANA O TE AWA TUPUA. I made one. Here is the brief over view.
I am concerned with prospect of restrictive rules and regulation governing land use, as well as the loss of existing use rights for fresh water, which flows freely from our land and as a consequence of collaborative planning with regard to fresh water may result in the creation of a property right for water, which will be granted to Iwi authorities within the tribal regions it flows forth from. Effectively giving them ownership of Water.
Those are the drinking fonts of Ruatipua. The small and large streams which flow into one and other. And continue to link, and swell, until a river is formed.
Te Awa Tupua.
If this is to be the out come, so as to impose Maoridoms cultural way upon resource users, which in turn will impose economic hardship. Then we demand financial compensation for loss of our property rights as per the founding document for NZ’s Statute Law. The Magna Carta.
No Freeman shall be taken or imprisioned,or be disseized of his freehold, or liberties, or free customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any other wise, or be destroyed, nor will we not pass upon him, nor condemn him but by lawful judgement of his peers, or by the law of the land. We will sell to no man, nor will not deny or defer to any man either justice or right.
I got a letter of acknowledgement straight back from Mr Finlayson. Fastest response ever from a minister.
This last month Govt announced that thanks to the Maori Party support they are able to progress the RMA reforms to law. Sec’s 6 and 7. Of course they have had to make concessions to the Maori Party in the form of governance roles within local Govt. What a load of cods whollop. Those of you who have read my previous bloggs will recognize the utter garbage coming from Govt Ministers on this issue. You have read my works. All this started back in 1991. It is only just now being implemented. Maori are demanding customary title to all sea bed and foreshore. Water. And now will have the numbers to drive the Maori Way around council tables. My man on the inside said recently to me. Mike. All I see coming out of this is lot of very rich people and lot of very poor people. What do you think? House and land prices are horrendous. People are in debit beyond their eye balls. The scene is set . Why because these extremists and their political mates are determined to return disputed lands back to Maori Ownership.
John and I have been to court claiming Horizons does not control the “Effects of the use and development of Land” But are limited to the beds of rivers and lakes and then only for infrastructural projects. We did not lose but did not win either. Ko’s ruled a overlap of functions. And the District Councils continue to allow Regional Council to assume the functions. There has been no attempt by Govt to change the RMA.
John and my Advisory Group Project through a spanner in the juggernaut driven by Govt Ministries and slowed it for a while?. Now the Treaty Settlement Process across the region is coming to close, and ownership of water is on the table. Will the Magna Carta, our founding legal document, be the final straw that breaks the political extremists that dominate our democracy? or do you still think I am abit off beat? Only time will tell.