One Plan system 'two-tier'

Andrew Day

Pahiatua's Andrew Day has told voters he's not happy with the way Horizons Regional Council is implementing some aspects of the One Plan.

Mr Day, who is standing for the Tararua seat on the regional council against councillor John Barrow, said he had been happy with the One Plan which had come back from the Environment Court, but now believed Horizons has set up a two-tier system to let dairy farmers' resource consents be ring-fenced.

"The regional resource of land and water should be available to all and although the dairy industry is fundamental to our district's progress, it doesn't have the right to ride rough-shod over the rest of the community," he told a meet-the-candidates forum in Woodville.

"This community is more than just one sector."

Mr Day had told the Dannevirke News he'd taken exception to Mr Barrow's claims regarding the Neild/Rhodes report to the One Plan hearing commissioners: "What he was saying [HBT, September 9] about councillors not knowing of the report was completely inaccurate and staggering for him to call that a scandal."

However, Mr Barrow is adamant the Neild/Rhodes report wasn't tabled at a Horizons Regional Council meeting.

"It was never presented formally, although, yes, it was on the website," he said.

"The report was needed after a cost analysis on the effects of the One Plan, prepared by Horizons staff at the time was more than grossly inadequate, it was pathetic. The hearings commissioner ordered council to do a second report and to do it properly. That was the Neild/Rhodes report."

Local body voting closes at noon on Saturday and results will begin appearing on the Horizons Regional Council's website, www.horizons.govt.nz, that day.