Does the West Coast Regional Council Exist?

Written By: - Date published: 3:14 pm, January 29th, 2019 - 48 comments
Categories: capitalism, class war, climate change, Conservation, disaster, Environment, Mining, science - Tags: , ,

SUBMISSION:  Zero Carbon Bill

In my submission on the Zero Carbon Bill (ZCB), which I believe appears to be well-intentioned, I’m going to focus on fairness and justice for a largely remote region dependent on mining, farming and forestry.

That region is, of course, New Zealand.

To ask the people of New Zealand to keep subsidising the West Coast the evidence proving intelligent life in the West Coast Regional Council must be presented, and proven beyond reasonable doubt.

 

Coal being mined at Stockton Open Pit mine, the largest in New Zealand, 500 metres above sea level in the Buller Coalfield.
STACY SQUIRES/STUFF
The inside of a WCRC Councillor’s brain. Note fat deposits where functioning brain cells once lived.

 Implementing the Zero Carbon Bill is likely to result in substantial costs to New Zealand, as well as changes to the growing industry of tourism. If we are going to ask tourists, even rowdy ones, to turn right once they leave the ferry at Picton, we are going to have to convince them that there is a chance of bumping into sentient human beings.

I’ve checked with the West Coast Regional Council and they have been unable to offer any proof that anybody representing them has half a brain.

Sadly, the discovery that there is apparently little or no intelligent life in the council building in Paroa will also have impacts on day-to-day life for communities living in that remote, rural region.

If they exist, that is.

The scientific jury is still out on whether the region is real and it could be that the whole West Coast is a giant hoax perpetrated by the Illuminati.

 

Mine owner and West Coast District councillor Allan Birchfield, wearing a Make America Great Again hat, strongly opposes climate change.

BREEN/DaisyCutterSports

West Coast man wins farting competition against local cows.

 My submission is that no further tax dollars should go to the West Coast to prevent flooding in Greymouth, forest flattening storms in Haast and sea front erosion in Granity until there is a scientific consensus that the West Coast Regional Council actually exists and, if it does, that there are homo sapiens to be found there who have progressed beyond eating lumps of coal and grunting about Donald Trump.

ENDS

 

(Hat tip to David Tong @Davidxvx)

 

48 comments on “Does the West Coast Regional Council Exist? ”

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  1. rata 1
    29 January 2019 at 4:31 pm

    The West coast does not start at Picton and end at Okarito.
    Just like the East coast does not start in Coromandel and end in Napier.
    People who think that are idiots.
    Wanna look at a map of New Zealand occasionally.
    The West coast starts at Cape Reinga
    to Raglan to Kawhia to Mokau New Plymouth Opunake
    Wanganui Foxton Waikanae Paraparaumu Wellington.
    Then Te Moana -o- Raukawa.
    Even then the South island West coast does not begin in Picton
    It starts at Puponga and ends at the bottom of Rakiura

  2. patricia bremner 2
    29 January 2019 at 4:48 pm

    LOL A tad harsh. This region has had many tragedies, like the Buller mine deaths, the Pike River mine deaths and hardship as industries and came and went.

    They live in rugged country and have explosive weather, perhaps the higher tides and problems with exceptional rainfall have clouded their vision.

    Their statements about not having the expertise…. Well now, perhaps a government appointee could help run a programme of education and community efforts which would receive funding.

    Some suggestions that the community and visitors could take part in with their council.

    Tree planting tourist experience before the rapid ride. Leave the West as one of the best. Plant a native tree.

    Visit the local farm and see mitigation efforts to control emissions. science on the farm.

    Travel by horse and buggy to see the forest as the early people who lived here did. The famous beeches and the forestry museum.

    Meet for a hearty meal and a brew with the locals, and a civic welcome by the Mayor.

    Visit the climate change centre. Make a choice for the level of carbon, an interactive explanation of what could happen. Did you survive?

    Toboggan down the flume, to the green stone carving viewing.

    All proceeds go into mitigation of carbon. (My suggestions are free.)

    I sincerely hope they do something

  3. One Two 3
    29 January 2019 at 5:04 pm

    Regions which have relied on mining, should be provided with guidance on transition options and future sustainable industry…

    Councils should be financially incentivized (carrot not stick) to do so by way of ensuring the well being of people in the area, and to attract others to live and work…

    Mocking and ridiculing the councils rejection is not the level of dialogue needed on CC, or any other matter…

    There is a genuine opportunity which should not be missed…

    • patricia bremner 3.1
      29 January 2019 at 5:52 pm

      Oh sorry if you feel the “tongue in cheek” banter makes light of climate change. That was far from the intention, and in a light hearted way I was suggesting there should be funding incentives for change and that probably should come from Government, especially for mining areas. PS I come from miners… my dad said they were the cobblers of old, and needed to learn and change.

      • One Two 3.1.1
        30 January 2019 at 11:50 am

        My comment was a response to the article…not to your comment patricia..

        That yourself and Peter believe I was responding to you makes me think perhaps my comment was indeed nested as a reply…

        It does not look as though I replied to you…from what I can see…the numbering sequence confirms as much…

    • Peter 3.2
      30 January 2019 at 11:36 am

      OFFS get a life its a joke, no wonder they say people on the left are to PC.

      • One Two 3.2.1
        30 January 2019 at 11:53 am

        Calm down, Peter…and slow down…

        Have a look at the numbering sequence…I had not replied to a comment…

        I had replied to the article…

  4. Exkiwiforces 4
    29 January 2019 at 5:34 pm

    Well it’s not surprising when you have a member of Birchfield family on the WRC aka “Alan Birchfield“ which the Birchfield family picked up the former SOE assets of Solid Energy for a song and there is another miner along with mine historian which I can’t remember their names.

    The Birchfield family were once a proud Labour family on the coast and now looks like they gone full Monty towards the “No Mates Party”.

    Oh well more floods, damaged roads and critical infrastructure damage due to CC effects. Might have to pull a pew and crack open a Monty’s and watch these silly muppets, Shell backs complain about the weather, lack of money because they have keep fixing roads, power supply issues etc.

    • patricia bremner 4.1
      29 January 2019 at 5:55 pm

      Oh thanks Ex Kiwi forces. So being obdurate has foundations huh?

      • Exkiwiforces 4.1.1
        29 January 2019 at 6:27 pm

        Well I was going to quote the late BSM William’s

        “No dear, How sad, Never mind.”

        But I don’t think anyone would get my sense of humour, when one considers the how damaging CC is going to be in the long term.

        But seeing Alan wearing old Chumps hat really says it all, I’m alright Jack or up your’s baby,etc etc.

        Shellbacks is a Military slang for old farts who won’t or can’t change with the times usually given to old crusty SNCO’s, WOFF’s or Officers.

        I really don’t have the time for some on the Coast and yes the coal on the coast along with the other stuff they dig up or cut down is some of the finest quality products in world, but they really need to slowly step away from it.

        Tourism is on Coast is really not the answer, as there needs to be manufactureing on the coast like wind turbines on Cape Foulwind something besides digging up or cutting down the country side.

  5. millsy 5
    29 January 2019 at 7:40 pm

    Sack the whole lot. WCRC, Buller DC, Westland DC and Grey DC. Appointment commissioners to run all 4 councils. The whole point of having these reigonal councils is to protect the environment. Seems that these hacks are protecting the profits of the extractive industries.

  6. Roy 6
    29 January 2019 at 9:06 pm

    Just when you thought NZ couldn’t embarrass itself any more with its willful stupidity.

    Denying global warming during a record heatwave…

    • Ian 6.1
      29 January 2019 at 9:18 pm

      Could you please supply data to back up your opinion that we are experiencing a record heat wave. I think you are telling porkies.

      • McFlock 6.1.1
        29 January 2019 at 9:31 pm

        Premature, maybe, but hardly a porkie. We’ve had record temps in some places, and the heat is forecast through to the end of the week, so it’s not exactly a misleading statement.

        Oh look, a NIWA meteorologist used the “h” word.

        • Ian 6.1.1.1
          29 January 2019 at 9:40 pm

          Total bull shit and totally misleading.What is the official definition of a heatwave ?

          • Roy 6.1.1.1.1
            29 January 2019 at 9:52 pm

            Wow: “What’s a heatwave?”

            Sigh. An uncommonly warm spell of weather where many places reached their highest temps on record. No, I’m not going to link, it was even on the evening news.

            Honestly, I wish I could just unscience it all away like you can, truly.

          • McFlock 6.1.1.1.2
            29 January 2019 at 10:05 pm

            As opposed to how the meteorology official used it officially?

            lol the point point is that it’s not bullshit. Whether it’s an “iofficial” heatwave that breaks heatwave records, or an official heatwave with local records being broken, or an unofficial heatwave breaking local records, it’s still funny that WCRC is choosing now to continue pleading ignorance.

            That’s the funny bit.

            The fact they’re pleading ignorance at all is idiotic. That they are doing so when the properties of some of their ratepayers are literally disappearing is borderline negligent. And if they’re doing so to continue their own dirty businesses, the word is “corrupt”.

          • Macro 6.1.1.1.3
            29 January 2019 at 10:23 pm

            The World Meteorological Organization defines a heat wave as five or more consecutive days during which the daily maximum temperature surpasses the average maximum temperature by 5 °C

            • lprent 6.1.1.1.3.1
              29 January 2019 at 10:37 pm

              ie most likely by the end of the week. Except for Nelson and Banks Peninsula, who I suspect will have it a few days earlier.

              Of course everyone will be aware of the heatwave well before that because the dratted nighttime temperatures are so high. So they either cook slowly as they toss and turn or they pay for some expensive power bills.

              In the case of Ian, the heat appears to be making him more less insane as his question seems to me to have been almost sensible. (I’m not going to consider the alternate explanation for that latter viewpoint because that would involve confronting my recent lack of good sleep.)

          • Ian B 6.1.1.1.4
            31 January 2019 at 12:48 am

            You can find the definition on the Metservice website

            A heat wave, as defined by the World Meteorological Organisation , occurs when the daily maximum temperature exceeds the average maximum temperature by five degrees or more for five consecutive days.

            You’re welcome

      • Cinny 6.1.2
        29 January 2019 at 9:52 pm

        Sure…..

        ” forecast sweltering heatwave is gripping the country, breaking long-time records and pushing temperatures close to 40C in places.”

        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12197391

        ” The weather can be defined as a heatwave because a number of places throughout the country meet the threshold of one, McInnes said.

        As defined by the World Meteorological Organisation, five consecutive days with maximum temperatures 5C above average is a heatwave.”

        🚨 BREAKING NEWS: All-Time Temperature Record Set! 🚨

        The minimum temperature in Richmond only reached 24.3°C this morning!🔥

        That is a new ALL-TIME warm minimum temperature record for the Wider Nelson region. Records began there 157 years ago!

        The previous record was 23.7°C pic.twitter.com/thAbSSVjsM

        • Adrian 6.1.2.1
          30 January 2019 at 5:15 pm

          So who stayed up all night with a candle to see what the minimum temp in Richmond was in 1886 because as sure as shit it wasn’t downloaded on to an online graph. A lot of 150 year old records have to be taken with a large container of salt.
          Does anyone know what a Stevenson Screen is anyway ?.

      • joe90 6.1.3
        29 January 2019 at 10:07 pm

        Meanwhile, the gibbering shit-weasel opines.

        https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1090074254010404864

    • flow in 6.2
      6 February 2019 at 10:45 am

      it was 18 – 22 degrees on the coast during the ‘heatwave’. Indeed, only a single place in NZ actually recorded a heatwave at all, not that NIWA will show that with their images of a country on fire. Its called SUMMER

  7. Cinny 7
    29 January 2019 at 10:00 pm

    Old white men denying climate change because it would lower their personal incomes and gains.

    Wondering how the average Coaster feels about it.

  8. Descendant Of Smith 8
    30 January 2019 at 12:12 am

    They could build a nuclear power station on the West Coast. Build enough of these around the world we could reduce carbon emissions quite quickly, have plenty of energy and remove a few dams in NZ anyway to put water back into our wetlands and rivers.

    • Jenny - How to get there? 8.1
      30 January 2019 at 2:14 am

      This might not be such a good idea. Climate change fueled Super Storms like Sandy have struck much further North and South, than their traditional rather narrow mid tropic range, and this trend is likely to continue and deepen. But at least you are thinking.

    • roy cartland 8.2
      30 January 2019 at 8:56 am

      Nukes need carbon emissions to mine the fuel though, unfortunately. And the waste disposal/transportation is inherently risky, especially in a quakey country.

      Just transition from looting to creation. I.e., from mining (inlc. farming and forestry, which mines nutrient wealth from the land) to solar panel / wind turbine construction and installation.

      (Oh, of course ‘mining is in the blood’ and it’s what they’ve ‘always done’; but hell, wouldn’t it be great if the rest of the world could just subsidise us all do the job we felt like…)

      • dv 8.2.1
        30 January 2019 at 9:24 am

        It seems to me that solar, wind (especially offshore) and tidal generation should go a long way to getting rid of coal etc.
        And continuing the EV push with determination.

      • Descendant Of Smith 8.2.2
        30 January 2019 at 5:46 pm

        Ironically most of the carbon emissions are from the oil based processes needed to get things up and running e.g. trucks, transportation.

        http://theconversation.com/is-nuclear-power-zero-emission-no-but-it-isnt-high-emission-either-41615

        I do wonder however whether once the first one is built then some of those emissions can then be transferred to electricity from the first plant e.g. electric vehicles. I also wonder whether the modelling takes into account New Zealand’s lower cost electrical generation from hydro as opposed to some of the higher cost generation elsewhere.

        I also believe some of he newer reactors use bead like systems rather than rods which make things like shutdowns redundant and waste more useable and manageable.

        Regardless the generation of nuclear power does seem to mean substantial less carbon emission.

        https://bravenewclimate.com/2012/05/06/carbon-offsetting-uranium-mines/

    • greywarshark 8.3
      30 January 2019 at 10:18 am

      Nuclear waste and safe storage is a bit of a problem often not factored in is it. Perhaps saving all the hot air that gets talked by politicians and piped for later use, could at least give them lighting for an hour at night while they get ready for bed.

      http://www.greystar.co.nz/news/lead/regional-council-wants-proof-of-climate-change/
      This is a marvellous example of groupthink. They as a group support each other in making a statement that would reveal an individual as so ignorant and unable to process information that he would have trouble with his shoelaces and be unsuitable for any job of importance, even operating a rubbish truck with on-board compacting machinery. But together; We stand proudly us Regional Councillors and dare anyone to contradict us as to our utter stupidity. US rules OK!

      Development on the West Coast – apparently trying.
      https://www.dwc.org.nz/business/business

      Mayor Kokshoorn seethes but not always to good effect.
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/106682156/mayor-seething-over-development-west-coasts-lack-of-action
      A $124 million trust set up to grow the West Coast economy has been slammed for squirrelling money away while businesses struggle to retain jobs.

      Development West Coast (DWC) was set up in 2001 with $92m Government money to offset the impact of the end of native timber milling on the West Coast economy.
      Its most recent annual report shows the fund has grown to $124m. However, last year it only gave out $2.66m in loans to nine businesses, down from $12m the year before while growing profits by $5.2m.
      (Tourism seems to be the mainstay.)

      DWC also co-funded four feasibility studies, a GNS Science Geothermal Study, the Minerals Research Institute and allocated over $500k to Tourism West Coast’s marketing initiatives.

      It isn’t easy getting a business going since Treasury and NZ Government abandoned our country’s domestic economy and enterprises in favour of importing cheap substitutes from world sources.

      The SI West Coast tried a sock factory and that didn’t work out and they lost confidence after that. They used to have Postie Plus operating from there with a garment business and trying to find replacement business that would provide steady jobs was a laudable aim. But in the end everybody lost their socks with the failure of the socks venture, including the entrepreneurs.

      Ratepayers lose out as West Coast Socks firm closes
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3549580
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3550284

      Were they/are they our Treasury and our Government or….?
      Can we say that though they are bastards, at least they are our bastards?
      (It’s okay, someone important said that and created a precedent:
      [Roosevelt’s] Secretary of State, Sumner Welles, once said “Somoza’s a bastard!” And Roosevelt replied, “Yes, but he’s our bastard.
      https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Franklin_D._Roosevelt)

    • greywarshark 8.4
      30 January 2019 at 10:26 am

      Look they tried a sock factory and that didn’t work out. They lost confidence after that. Nuclear waste and safe storage is a bit of a problem often not factored in is it. Perhaps saving all the hot air that gets talked by politicians and piped for later use, could at least give them lighting for an hour at night while they get ready for bed.

      http://www.greystar.co.nz/news/lead/regional-council-wants-proof-of-climate-change/
      This is a marvellous example of groupthink. They as a group support each other in making a statement that would reveal an individual as so ignorant and unable to process information that he would have trouble with his shoelaces and be unsuitable for any job of importance, even operating a rubbish truck with on-board compacting machinery. But together; We stand proudly us Regional Councillors and dare anyone to contradict us as to our utter stupidity. US rules OK!

      Development on the West Coast – apparently trying.
      https://www.dwc.org.nz/business/business

      Mayor Kokshoorn seethes but not always to good effect.
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/106682156/mayor-seething-over-development-west-coasts-lack-of-action
      A $124 million trust set up to grow the West Coast economy has been slammed for squirrelling money away while businesses struggle to retain jobs.

      Development West Coast (DWC) was set up in 2001 with $92m Government money to offset the impact of the end of native timber milling on the West Coast economy.
      Its most recent annual report shows the fund has grown to $124m. However, last year it only gave out $2.66m in loans to nine businesses, down from $12m the year before while growing profits by $5.2m.
      (Tourism seems to be the mainstay.)

      DWC also co-funded four feasibility studies, a GNS Science Geothermal Study, the Minerals Research Institute and allocated over $500k to Tourism West Coast’s marketing initiatives.

      It isn’t easy getting a business going since Treasury and NZ Government abandoned our country’s domestic economy and enterprises in favour of importing cheap substitutes from world sources. Everybody lost their socks with the failure of this venture, including the entrepreneurs.
      Ratepayers lose out as West Coast Socks firm closes
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3549580
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3550284

      Were they/are they our Treasury and our Government or….?
      Can we say that though they are bastards, at least they are our bastards?
      (It’s okay, someone important said that and created a precedent:
      [Roosevelt’s] Secretary of State, Sumner Welles, once said “Somoza’s a bastard!” And Roosevelt replied, “Yes, but he’s our bastard.
      https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Franklin_D._Roosevelt)

    • flow in 8.5
      6 February 2019 at 10:47 am

      or, we could count the huge native forests towards our carbon tax. 86% of our land is forest, you know. We’ve already built the hydro.

  9. Cinny 9
    30 January 2019 at 9:13 am

    Electric car manufacturing plant….. come on coasters break away from coal and the old boys running your region.

  10. greywarshark 10
    30 January 2019 at 12:22 pm

    A thought. Are regional councils any good any more? Are they now proving more costly for less effectiveness than was the case when set up?

    Could a panel of business experts with environmental and future thinking nous plus government adminstration experience or training (at Uni of Wellington etc.) be appointed to have annual meetings with ordinary Councils to help them get a fix on what their region needs, and so bring to them a larger and less embedded view and information than a regional council does. Ordinary Councils would have a department that kept a watching brief on planning and policy and implementation of regional matters, and be working in co-operation with neighbouring Councils.

    The panel would not be chosen because they used to be top sportsmen etc. – they would have to have the background of experience and academia to do it. So no Old Boys/Girls/Network or retired politicians locally or nationally, no WCRC bunch of white boys grown older but not wiser, no Chris Laidlaw or other choice sporting offering – unless they had put themselves through required training which would not just be MBA or the like but include real personal business entrepreneurship experience, and academia including Development courses.

    Sounds like a dose of objective good business sense visiting Councils and having Council-wide meetings and workshops, and offering citizens the opportunity to contribute in brain storming sessions and then following through one idea to a plan and implementation system, and cost/benefit analysis to see how to do that task. A learning experience for all, that would be. Break the ‘helpless’ ignorance of communities and those in sectors with historical thought patterns that need changing.

  11. R.P Mcmurphy 11
    30 January 2019 at 3:33 pm

    they been whingeing for years.

  12. flow in 12
    6 February 2019 at 10:49 am

    I find it amazing everyone gets upset because WCRC asked for proof of AGW before agreeing to beggar the entire region.

    Its a simple thing. Just some proof.

    The Scientific method sure means we have that by now?

    But, no. No proof. All model predictions have been falsified, every time. There is more disproof of the hypothesis (Co2 causes global warming) than disproof of the null (it doesn’t cause global warming).

    It is a good question.