Hamish McNeilly/Stuff
Rachel Wesley, of Ōtākou Rūnaka, and Matapura Ellison, Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, address the Dunedin City Council. The two committees were a “good starting point” for the council and mana whenua to work together, council chief executive Sandy Graham said. She confirmed, after questioning from Cr Lee Vandervis, that a 2006 memorandum of understanding between the council and mana whenua would also be reviewed. The memorandum gave Māori opportunities to contribute to local government decision-making processes. Vandervis said the rūnaka-appointed positions were “anti-democratic race-based representation”. The council was throwing the democratic system “to the dogs” by giving non-elected members voting rights, he said.
Rachael Kelly17:02, Jun 26 2021
Rachael Kelly/Stuff
Some roads in Northern Southland are affected by flooding on Saturday after rain on Friday caused rivers to rise.
Environment Southland activated its flood warning system late on Friday after heavy rain fell in the headwaters of rivers in the province, and the Otago Regional Council had issued a warning for one river at West Otago. Environment Southland s flood warning issued at 4pm said the Mataura River was above normal and rising at Cattle Flat, Pyramid, Gore and Wyndham. The Aparima River at Thornbury was above normal and rising, while the Oreti River and the Waikaia River were both falling.
The Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) programme of wallaby monitoring and surveillance in northern parts of Otago has already led to the identification and destruction of a wallaby in the Kakanui Mountains. Contractors from Heliventures and thermal .
Anyone can have their say on the Proposed Otago Regional Policy Statement, up until 3 September. The Otago Regional Council (ORC) will notify its Proposed Otago Regional Policy Statement 2021 (RPS) tomorrow, beginning a ten-week consultation period during .