Brook Sabin/Stuff
Some West Coasters are calling the policy a “land grab”, which will lock up land and prevent any development. (File photo)
Mayor Jamie Cleine and deputy Sharon Roche are also members of the Te Tai O Poutini Plan Committee responsible for writing a one district plan for the region. The pair did not vote with the committee when it decided to reject a report on the issue which included a map of potential SNAs.
They wrote to Shaw and Nanaia Mahuta to call for open dialogue and compensation for West Coasters.
The report showed the majority of the native vegetation on the West Coast was a potential SNA, the pair said. The issue was causing a “great deal of anxiety”, they said.