Waikanae Beach looking north
This was something Geoffrey was told today by Salima Padamsey while outside the High Court for the challenge by Coastal Ratepayers United (CRU) to the council’s Coastal Hazards provisions in the District Plan.
If so, it is foolishness. We’ll investigate and report more.
The challenge to the Environment Court’s declining to make one of the declarations CRU sought, and the council’s opposition to the challenge, were presented by the respective lawyers for the two.
These documents can be read on the CRU website here — select “legal” and then “declaration case against KCDC”. The three at the bottom of the list were the ones involved today.
Be aware, though, that they consist of mostly technical procedural arguments under the Resource Management Act, and make turgid, not enthralling reading. We’ll try to present an easily digestible condensation of the significance involved shortly.
The judge said he would try to present his decision before the end of this year.
Sorry Geoff but didn’t notice you there. I stayed for a short time. What amused me was the public gallery reminded me of a wedding ceremony where the bride’s family sits on the left side and the grooms family on the right. In this case two elected representatives sat on the adjacent side of those in the community that probably elected them. I thought that amusing.
It reminds me of a former Mayor who claimed that when I criticised the Council I criticised him. Sorry but the Council is separate from elected officials. Councillors are elected to represent their community.
A summary would be jolly useful.
Bernie
At least Mayor Guru came over and shook the hands of all those on the CRU side before going over to sit with his deputy, Cr Holborow, on the other side.
Just as amusing was the two-metre high bullet-proof glass between the gallery and the room.
Paul Dunmore’s view is that council boss Dougherty has been willing to spend an unlimited amount of Raterpayer money on legal battles rather than admit mistakes. Fortunately that era is coming to an end — fingers crossed the new era will be different. — Geoffrey