Campaigners win week’s extension for submission
Public calls have led to Environment Southland to grant a week-long extension to the deadline for submissions to its 10 year plan.
Submissions will now close at 5pm on May 13, a decision the regional council’s chairman Nicol Horrell acknowledged was in response to community feedback.
He said there had been “significant interest’’ in the plan proposals, which include a $2.23 million increase in annual operating expenditure to fund greater investment in flood protection.
It would be funded by a new infrastructure rate, based on capital value for all ratepayers. This would replace 140 targeted rates.
“We want everyone to have their say so we’ve decided to extend the submissions by a week,’’ Horrell said.
Plan hearings are currently scheduled to start May 20 to meet a statutory time frame for adopting the plan by the end of June.
Public consultation meetings in community venues have featured strong criticisms of the lack of time for people to get to grips with the complexities of the move, and the lack of personal contact to inform them what the impacts on them would individually be.
Calls were made to postpone the deadline by a fortnight or a month and Groundswell Western Southland has been hastily gathering submissions for seeking to have the plan delayed by 12 months.
One petition organiser, Sue Allison, was gathering signatures when she heard of the extension. To some extent it was a case of “a win’s a win’’ but it was less than hoped, she said.
“We’ll continue to gather signatures for the petition, which will be attached to our submission.’’
The petitions are asking for more than the 12 month delay:
It also reads: “In these economic times the consequences of your proposal (are) not viable and have left many in the community concerned, mentally and financially.’’
The petitioners contend there are more economical, practical solutions to mitigate flooding in Southland .
“We have the knowledge of the people who built the original flood protection and have been living alongside these rivers for generations.
“They know the rivers better than outside consultants.’’
The petition concluded: “Remove the gravel from the rivers.’’