As you might have heard, the proposed Gore District Plan includes applying the Sites and Areas of Significance to Maori rules from RMA Section 6 to the entire district.
That would mean that every place in the whole district could have the counterproductive, unworkable, and intrusive bureaucracy that comes from having an RMA Section 6 classification on your land.
“All land, waterbodies, natural features, and marae within Gore District are recognised as sites and areas of cultural significance to mana whenua and/or tangata whenua, and are afforded appropriate considerations in relation to their management, development, and use.”
This isn't just about Gore, though. Your council could be next. We need to stop this from going ahead in Gore so other councils won't even try.
We're campaigning in Gore to push the Gore District Council to remove the blanket Sites and Areas of Significance to Maori application from the District Plan before it's too late.
Rather than pick out a list of specific places that have some actual significance, the Gore District Council has put that sentence in their plan, meaning everyone in the Gore District has to wonder when their land will start needing complex consultation for the normal activities they’ve otherwise been able to do.
That uncertainty is what makes this such a terrible proposal.
It’s important to note that it’s the Council at fault here. The Hokonui Runanga (the local branch of Ngai Tahu) put forward their view of how land in Gore should be regulated, but it’s the Council that decided to go along with it without asking anyone else what they thought.
There is still an opportunity to get this changed, as the proposed plan is out for consultation. We just need to make sure the Council knows that their voters will not accept a regulatory system that has food producers and other landowners always looking over their shoulder.
But once a district plan is proposed, as this one is, it can only be changed by submissions. We have to take action now, or the plan as it stands will come into effect.
We’re asking everyone in Gore to pledge their support for our call to protect property rights, including ads online and in the local paper.
We're going to keep pushing to make sure this abuse of the RMA planning laws is stopped in Gore before it becomes a political and legal precedent used around the rest of the country....the full article can be read HERE
Bryce McKenzie is the co-founder of the farmer-rights lobby group Groundswell NZ. He is an Otago farmer.
8 comments:
How did it come about? Is the council staff and/or council very strongly maori aligned? Or has the Council had little experiemce of maori obstructiveness and extortion, not followed developments elsewhere where maori not so few? Asleep on their feet, or, as elsewhere, each terrified of cancellation if they dare question anything maori?
Power to your Scottish elbow Bryce. Surely the people of Gore will support you. I would be interested to know about the Maori activity around the district - I guess there would have been some, but the climate would have been a deterrent.
What a despicable rort and who are the idiots that proposed this? ( https://www.goredc.govt.nz/council/elected-members) Essentially it will be the equivalent of an encumbrance on all land entitling local Maori to be able to charge a consultation fee, as a minimum, EVERYTIME you want to do something on your land that requires a Council approval. A gift that will keep on giving for eternity. It would be a joke, if it wasn't so bloody outrageous! Surely the residents of Gore aren't that complacent (or stupid) to allow this to proceed?"
Was Gore not the council where the new ( young) mayor had a stand off with councillors and the town clerk resigned?
To Anon @ 6.20PM - correct, and they decided that "they need a review into the sorry saga that led to an end result (the CEO moving on - his association with councilor's past / many re-elected - was ??) and they would write the Terms of Reference for said review". The election of the new Mayor, was a "surprise for those councilors who were returned to council", they thought the current fellow would be re-elected - the people of Gore said otherwise - and what followed was "seen by many as a way to undermine and get rid of the New Mayor".
There was also an issue with the then CEO and a employment contract. The Otago Daily Times gave this matter "air space", but other media, looked at the 30 second moment for TV and
limited column inches from other papers.
The "everything went quiet" nary a peep about the election and review". I am aware that "a level of hostility remained between councilor's & Mayor" after this. Now - oh dear.
The question I would ask - "is who bent the Mayor's arm on this"?
The Paris Accord stipulated protection of food producing land. There is little better food producing land in NZ and this land needs protection from bureauocracy. F%%& off Gore District Council.
This ridiculous proposed District Plan sounds a clarion warning to all of New Zealand. It could be coming to YOUR Council soon !!
Truly it is said that we all get the Govt we deserve. It seems that Gore has got theirs.
Post a Comment
Thanks for engaging in the debate!
Because this is a public forum, we will only publish comments that are respectful and do NOT contain links to other sites. We appreciate your cooperation.