For years the Hastings District Council neglected maintenance of the Mangarau Stream in Havelock North. Photographic evidence on this abounds. This led in whole or part to blockage of that stream during Cyclone Gabrielle and the flooding of several dozen Joll Road homes, with 47 properties initially rated as 2C. That number subsequently became 38.
Post-Cyclone, in negotiations with the Crown, the region’s leaders promised a $10 million work programme to fix this situation, to be funded 75% by the Crown, 25% locally.
In synch with other flooding remediation, as a good Boy Scout HBRC signed the deal guaranteeing the 25% local payment in this instance, despite the fact that the dam and stream involved – officially deemed a ‘stormwater system’ – was, like all such systems, wholly under the ownership, jurisdiction and control of HDC.
With new-found commitment HDC has commenced a mitigation programme on the stream, treating local onlookers with splendiferous e-newsletters documenting its progress.
However, when HBRC went to HDC and suggested that HDC should properly pick up and itself rate for the $2.5 million local cost share, i.e. pay to clean up its own mess, HDC declined.
That left HBRC holding the bag – either provide the $2.5 million or lose the $7.5 million matching funds from the Crown.
Last week HBRC Councillors had to decide what to do. In their discussion, one Councillor bemoaned that HDC wouldn’t do the “honourable thing” and pay for its own project. Another termed it “being bullied”. Another referred to what would be essentially a HBRC grant to HDC as a “bail out”. All agreed with another’s characterisation – a “messy situation”.
The term I would have used is “blackmail”. HDC effectively says, “Forget that we created this problem through our neglect, pay up HBRC or you’ll get the blame for stopping the remediation work and leaving these 38 2C homes twisting in the wind.”
In the end, the HBRC Councillors (all but one) swallowed the dead rat and took more responsibility for those 38 Havelock North property owners than HDC cared to. HBRC will rate for the work.
What will HBRC get for that? Certainly no asset … the ‘stormwater system’ belongs to HDC. Gratitude from the 38 homeowners? Possibly. However, I doubt HBRC will get much gratitude from the entire base of Hastings ratepayers who will eventually find a big surcharge for Havelock North stream maintenance on their Regional Council rates bill.
And, given their track record, what if HDC does a lousy job of fixing the situation?
HBRC cannot put conditions on the “grant” itself. It can monitor compliance with any consents the scheme requires, a job done with limp wrist in the past. During the debate HBRC staff assured Councillors they could be confident that effective monitoring was now underway. Like it or not, HBRC now has an unofficial stormwater investment to protect. Stormy waters ahead?
Isn’t it great to see our councils playing so nicely together?!
I bet Hazlehurst and her fellow HDC councillors are real proud of themselves! This kind of dishonesty is simply deplorable. Shame on them all..
From what I’ve seen. The HDC Mayor and all her councillors, find it far more important to put made up names on Road Signs. Names that the vast majority of peoples do not understand, or are able to pronounce!
In these hard times it’s difficult to understand their so called priorities?
No doubt they claim its education?
Just saying
There are some wonderful free courses in the area so that you may enjoy understanding the actual and original placenames where you live much better… not only ‘educating’ but entirely enriching as well….however, I agree the HDC need to prioritise cleaning their own mess.
Time for a change we need a leader that works for ratepayers and make the hard decisions
What would be better,is less,more productive and accountable council employees
Overpaid councilors and especially Mayor & CEO .Remember them at next elections …
the problem is, people do. remember them, that is. because they’re the ones holding the seats. which equals name recognition… which generally equals re-election. which is, sadly, about as much as most people think about who they vote for.
HDC. A for a new set of brooms next election. Get rid of this incompetence…..TOP to bottom. Stick to your knitting not social niceties. Plus, get your hands out if my pocket.
It would be nice, to one day, feel like we were more than just cashcows for all forms of government and counsils.
Instead, large rate hikes while they devalue our properties with K.O. housing built illegally.
How and who can you complain to though?!
Without it financially crippling you.
Well Logan, complaining to anyone these days is ineffective.
“If you refuse to be involved with Politics, you will be governed by inferiors.”
Plato.
My view is that the situation is more complex than just blaming one council. Studies have been conducted on these streams and dams, looking at 1-100 year and 1-200 year scenarios, which highlights the long history of management issues. The problem predates the current HBRC and HDC, and is a result of years of unwise management and leadership decisions made without sufficient scientific understanding. The root cause lies with the voters who have elected officials without the necessary expertise, leading to poor decision-making. Both HBRC and HDC should be working together to address the issues, rather than pointing fingers. Unfortunately, Hastings is now paying the price for past mistakes, and it’s time for a collaborative approach to move forward.
So true,ratepayers voting for self interest!
Anna Lorck silence here when it’s the HDC is staggering given what critic she is of the Hawkes Bay Regional Council
Please can we find Comrade Anna – her silence is uncharacteristic
It’s a dynamic process with shared responsibilities. Regardless of what or who does it, the rate payer will pay one way or another, beit HDC NDC or the HBRC. So celebrate the positive -Its being fixed – and move on.
The Mayor and her councillors seems to forget she and they were voted in to be a servant of the people. Instead they start believing their own publicity and invest in their own agendas. Hence all of the rate payers money being spent on non essentials rather than necessary maintenance and infrastructure. This neglect of the council in not maintaining the Mangarau Stream seems to be consistent with the lack of river and waterway pump maintenance throughout Hawkes Bay prior to the cyclone. Our local councils need to step up and do what is right for our cities and region in accordance for what the residents want and need or step down and have competent people take the helm!
Totally fed-up with ratepayers being used as atms for councils, we can’t pass it on to anyone else. And how can HBRC suddenly change the criteria for rating from unimproved value to capital value with no consultation with anyone! Absolutely fed-up with both of them. Oh, and wait for the new entity that we will have forced upon us for water rates, thanks to the Coalition of Chaos that’s our “government” currently. I despair!
I endorse the views of David Bosley and the reply from Jonni Sharland is yet more PC nonsense forced down our throats by those with their own separatist agendas. How is it that every consideration of anything becomes an opportunity to play the race card.
What happened to the utopian world that was “Godzone”.
That’s the country I grew up in. It’s what we all want, surely. So who stuffed it up?
So easy for the ignorant to claim “PC nonsense” when they feel they are losing something they cannot actually identify when the only ethnic group in this country to have lost anything tangible over the years since 1840 has been the indigenous people, the Maori.
“Godzone” is just another myth cooked up by those who seek to obfuscate the truth surrounding NZ actual history, the denial of Maori votes in the early years, the denial of Maori speaking thier own language, the theft of lands with pittance compensation paid generations later.
The British are now complaining of immigrants in the UK, yet they are the master immigrants and colonisers of over 200 countries and who’s descendants here in NZ, having ignored and dishonoured the Treaty for generations wish to try and rewrite the legal agreement between Maori and the Crown. If there is no Treaty then non Maori become occupiers by definition. Non Maori cannot have their cake and eat it too, either honour the Treaty or revert all land ownership back to how it was in 1840, and for those who cry “but we have developed the land” they can be comforted by not being held to pay rent with interest for the last 184 years.
Fast forward 70 or 80 years when NZ is dominated by Asian voters then those anti Treaty racists will be relying on it to protect their interests in an ironic twist.
I agree with Rob McNoughton
We are all awake to the woke narrative, inclusive,diversity,equality as being dressed up as some sort of answer for all the world’s problems when in fact its creating them. We know there is incentives to those who use it. It’s changed our once working values and integrity to an absolute mess and being irresponsible with tax payers money. Education system is stuffed too. This ideolgy bought in by the previous labour govt has created all things divided not equal or inclusive at all but chaos.
As long as everyone is playing your game by your rule’s aye Faith… until they become better at the game than you then they must be cheating, just like we see the Chinese being vilified for being better capitalists than the capitalists!
and then to think that these local authorities have to form a ‘united’ entity to deal with the HB wide (or wider?) water issues…..good luck with that – what a narrow minded bunch!
Three incompetent Councils need to be combined into one. Wise, Ormsby and Hazlehurst must go. After that, bring in the Commissioners to make sure the new entity works efficiently and fairly.
Never thought I’d ever say it.
However, common sense dictates. What with the duplication of staff, services and machinery etc etc that along with councils ALL doing their own thing!
In these Hard Times! I seriousley believe the peoples of Hawkes Bay should be :afforded by the Powers that Be. The opportunity” to VOTE IN A (“BINDING REFEREDUM”. On the issue of staying as is. Or rolling ALL 5 Hawkes Bay Council’s into ONE UNITARY AUTHORITY..
With 5 Hawkes Bay Council’s ( 4 mayors, +1 chairperson, ,+ countless Councllors) Hawkes Bay would undoubtedly qualify as the most over Governed little Province in NZ!
Time for a change
The question should be, why is the rest of the wider Hawkes Bay community having to pick up the bill for one of the most affluent areas because someone at HBRC shot their mouths off offering something they didn’t have….
There are targeted rates for other areas flood control measures so HBRC can target these costs for Havelock North to those landowners, the rest of us already have enough to contend with.
Perhaps the lack of accountability at Council level needs to be put under the microscope when Councils are wildly shooting from the hip without thought of the repercussions from their wild potshots.
What about the sewer pipes still being held up on a wooden frame since Gabrielle
Unfourtunatly, Much like the present Local Council’s heads!