Kelley Molloy with her partner Richard Eatwell on their Waiho Flat dairy run-off property which has now dropped in value due to a signal the area will be abandoned. Photo: LDR / Brendon McMahon
Waiho Flat landowners have expressed angst and frustration as they watch their devalued land "going down the river" despite a West Coast Regional Council promise four years ago they would be protected.
Landowner Peter Dennehy said he was frustrated nothing had been done since the regional council "engineered" a rating districts amalgamation in 2020 to co-fund the protection of their flood-prone land, partly through a targeted rate.
"We're watching our money going down the river every time it floods … we need help," he said, during an emotionally charged meeting in Franz Josef this week.
Ratepayers expressed outrage at the way the 10-year Waiho River Management Strategy announcement, in October, had effectively wiped their property values by 50 percent.
Under the strategy, the Waiho Flat area would eventually be abandoned to the shifting river.
Waiho Flat landowner Sonja Pettigrew said the latest official valuation wiped their land value by 50 percent and she believed it had to be linked to the October announcement.
"It's ruined our equity. We've made an objection. We believe the local council has been involved in this major devaluation … this is unacceptable behaviour," Pettigrew said on Monday night.
Long-time Waiho Flat farmer Richard Molloy stands on the edge of land owned by Peter Dennehy being eaten away while the landowners await a decision on their future. Photo: LDR / Brendon McMahon
With local authorities now having to bargain with the government for flood buyouts, it smelt of "a major conflict of interest", she said.
"It's a heartfelt plea about our south side (Waiho Flat) devaluing incredibly," she said.
Westland District Council chief executive Simon Bastion defended his council's role.
The rating valuation process was run "completely independently," he said.
Waiho Flat farmer Graham Berry disagreed: the valuer had told him they had been well informed by council of the future of Waiho Flat, he said.
"They got a heads-up: devalue the south side," Berry said.
A hazard warning sign on lower Waiho Flat, about 8km below the tourist hotspot of Franz Josef. Photo: LDR / Brendon McMahon
Fellow Waiho Flat landowner Kelley Molloy said their ability to get finance was impacted immediately after October.
"You took our capital values to zero. You put us in the position, we are never going to sell the land. The way you went about it was absolute bull s**t.
"It is the most rubbish thing I've ever been part of.
"Then QV came along and saying you are devalued by half: well done our councils," Molloy said.
Residents felt the new rating district only benefited the Franz Josef side of the Waiho River river, she said.
"The frustration for the south side is we didn't get a god-damned cent of it … It creates a divide when people's livelihoods are on the line."
Council's infrastructure resilience group programme manager Scott Hoare said the original funding agreement only released $12.5m to the north Franz Josef side of the river.
Members of the Franz Josef Joint Rating District, council representatives, and local residents arrive for Monday's meeting. Photo: LDR / Brendon McMahon
However, chief executive Darryl Lew said council was "close now" to getting the government to release the original $8m allocated for the Waiho Flat side.
The meeting on Monday was the first in four years of the Franz Josef Joint Rating District.
It was formed following a ratepayer poll in September 2020 after a bid by the West Coast Regional Council to the government for a $24m co-funded (75/25) resilience scheme to bolster flood protection in the Franz Josef area.
Amalgamation of the north and south bank special rating districts in the area was a condition at the time.
"Moving forward" was oft repeated as officials batted in defence on Monday, as they acknowledged sketchy information following a high turnover of staff in the intervening period.
Council chairman Peter Haddock said the 2022-elected council had been trying to pick up the pieces.
It had approached the previous government to release the money and it had met the condition of presenting a strategy to manage the natural hazard issue affecting Waiho Flat and Franz Josef, he said.
"The previous government pulled the money for the south side because they wanted a plan. It was well publicised there was going to be a buy out."
The new government were taking a different approach.
"They don't have any appetite to buy out anywhere in the country," Haddock said
At the same time he had "good vibes" something might come in the Budget for Waiho Flat.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
