Otago Daily Times

Regional council lacks understand­ing of issues

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THE Otago Regional Council has taken a lot of flak lately. Is it justified?

Judging by the disastrous advertisem­ent it placed in the ODT (April 13 and 17) for a regulatory manager, it certainly is.

The regulatory manager would play a key role in planning and consents for the Manuheriki­a catchment.

The advertisem­ent states: Otago is a prosperous and vibrant region which relies on its abundant natural and physical resources, including farming horticultu­re, viticultur­e and tourism.

The ORC doesn’t appear to know that the quartet above are not natural and physical resources. They are activities.

The resources as set out in the Resource Management Act that the advertisem­ent has ignored and that are the responsibi­lity of the council are air, water, soil and ecosystems.

The advertisem­ent goes on to claim that the ORC exists to promote the sustainabl­e developmen­t of Otago’s resources.

This is patently untrue. Its statutory role is to promote sustainabl­e management of the resources named above.

There is a world of difference in law between sustainabl­e management and sustainabl­e developmen­t.

Things are not going to change any time soon unless it gets its corporate head round fundament issues such as these. Evan Alty Lake Hawea

Heritage buildings

DUNEDIN City Council heritage adviser Dr Andrea Farminer tells us that the DCC is committed to protecting and enhancing heritage buildings across the city (ODT, 1.4.19).

I suggest this stops when it gets close to the Otago Harbour, which is our biggest and most precious asset.

There is very little left of Dunedin’s maritime history, which has been crucial in the developmen­t of Dunedin and Otago.

Port Otago has convenient­ly demolished the final relics around the wharf areas under the pretence of a health and safety issue.

We all know there have been many buildings around Dunedin decontamin­ated of asbestos to carry on useful lives.

The DCC has done the same with the Sims building at Port Chalmers (which should be more correctly known as the Stevenson and Cook building), the last of what was a huge industry at the time, a company that has left other legacies around Dunedin, including the university.

The Pilot’s Wharf at Aramoana is another example of important history being left to rot away.

Even when voluntary groups and individual­s offer to restore these DCCowned assets and important maritime history, the DCC and Heritage NZ just sit on their hands and make up lame excuses for why the restoratio­n or protection cannot go ahead.

For some reason, the Otago Regional Council and the DCC don’t want to protect our maritime history.

They forget that all is owned by the people of Otago and they are only administra­tors.

Perhaps if their grandfathe­rs, fathers and brothers had worked in these industries that helped form Dunedin into what it is today, they would show a little more interest. Mark Brown

Waitati

 ?? PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON ?? The Sims building at Port Chalmers.
PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON The Sims building at Port Chalmers.

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