Councillor denies privacy breach

The West Coast Regional Council is alleging a privacy breach involving its former chairman after correspondence from a mining company ended up in the media.
However, Cr Allan Birchfield, who openly admits passing the information on, denies there was any breach.
If the council wanted to take issue with it — "bring it on".
The council released a statement this week, and although it did not directly refer to Cr Birchfield, it took issue with the release of the correspondence from Chinese-owned Westcoast Mining Ltd shared with "some councillors".
The correspondence complained about a two-year delay in their resource consent application, and being ordered by regional council staff to shut down mining operations in the meantime.
Council chairman Peter Haddock said in a statement Westcoast Mining Ltd had "confirmed it did not share" its correspondence to the council with anyone else.
"Nor did it give permission for any of its information to be shared," Cr Haddock said.
Rather, the letter had been shared "confidentially" with some councillors.
"It's very disappointing privacy between [the] council and the company has been breached ... We will be taking measures to deal with this transgression."
Cr Birchfield said yesterday he took "full credit" for passing on the information because it concerned council activities in the public domain.
"They're wrong. That letter was written to all the councillors, and I take full credit for releasing it," he said.
"The public should know the mining community do know what is going on [with the council]."
He said the correspondence would be otherwise discoverable anyway through the Local Government and Official Information and Meetings Act.
The allegations outlined by Westcoast Mining were "symptomatic" of wide disquiet in the West Coast community about the changing council approach to consenting and compliance, Cr Birchfield said.
It not only reflected the growing concern within the West Coast mining fraternity but from other industry sectors seeking routine consents and now being presented with new hurdles.
Cr Birchfield said the information being sought officially now often reflected no West Coast mining knowledge or local knowledge at all.
"I'm being barraged with complaints from the industry and I'm sick of it.
"I released that letter because it's not private," Cr Birchfield said.
Cr Brett Cummings, who chairs the Resource Management Committee, was surprised at the council stance but preferred not to comment publicly.
He was already awaiting further information on "concerns with the consenting process" he had raised.
Cr Peter Ewen, who has regularly sparred with Cr Birchfield, described the release of the correspondence as "grandstanding" and "attention seeking".
He said Cr Birchfield knew "full well" the rules about information disclosure. Given it was apparently yet to be tabled at the council meeting he was "jumping the gun".
"I think attention-seeking councillors are doing it all the time — that's the problem," Cr Ewen said.
"There's a right and a wrong way to do it. He knows that ... there's an election coming."
Cr Ewen said there was also some irony in that Cr Birchfield, a gold miner, had not always declared his own mining activities at the council table.
"He can't even follow the rules himself."
Cr Haddock said Westcoast Mining Ltd had been mining without a resource consent when it was shut down on May 31.
"It was clear the resource consent was yet to be issued as a company representative visited the WCRC office on May 16 ... to request alterations to their [application].
"We will not be commenting further while the matter is under investigation," Cr Haddock said.
— Greymouth Star

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RNZ News

3 hours ago

• RNZ News

West Coast Regional Council chief executive calls for more staff as goldmine delays bite

West Coast Regional Council chief executive Darryl Lew (L) and councillors Allan Birchfield (M) and Brett Cummings (R). Photo: LDR The West Coast Regional Council has conceded it needs to take on more staff, after a raft of complaints about the time it takes to process resource consents, including some from its own councillors. The council's former chair - and alluvial goldminer - Allan Birchfield released letters last week from a company distressed that its fledgling goldmine had been shut down, and its seven workers and capital put at risk, after waiting 17 months for a consent. Council resource management committee chair Brett Cummings - also a veteran goldminer - has set out his concerns in a letter to West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) chief executive Darryl Lew, with a long list of questions about how consents are being dealt with. Both councillors have criticised the council's practice of hiring North Island consultancy firms to process goldmine consents, alleging the planners involved are unfamiliar with the industry, ask for irrelevant information and delay the process by asking what Cummings has called "stupid " questions. In his case, the wait has been seven months for what should have been a straightforward consent on Ngai Tahu forestry land, which the iwi had approved, Cummings said. In reply to the councillor's questions, Lew said the council had received 56 resource consent applications this year, and half of them had been outsourced to consultants in Buller, Greymouth and New Plymouth. Of those 28, two had been approved, 11 were sent back to the applicants because they were "incomplete" and the rest were still being processed, Lew said. "Similar to the WOF process for a car, when deficient applications are returned, applicants are informed of areas that are required to be enhanced and they can then resubmit the applications for processing." Of the remaining 28 being dealt with by council staff, 10 had been approved, one had been sent back for more information within the statutory time limit and 12 had been returned to sender as "incomplete". The rest were still being processed, Lew said. The council's use of consultants has increased, compared to the same period last year, the figures show. Between January and April 2024 , the council received 57 resource consent applications - one was publicly notified, 51 were processed in house and only six outsourced to a consultant. There was little difference in the fees charged to applicants - council staff were charged out at $185 an hour and consultants' hourly rates ranged from $140-192 - all plus GST. There had been only two council consents staff employed in January this year, joined by a trainee in February, and their availability had been reduced by sick leave, annual leave and training time, Lew said. Last year, there had been three officers on the job. "To date, I haven't increased the consents team, however I do believe now is the time. More consents are requiring technical input and we are having more going to hearings, so this is impacting on resourcing, not to mention future demands like the fast track projects." The council would prefer to use its own staff who had local knowledge, Lew said. But it would be impossible to do away entirely with consultants because the volume of consent applications and workload was unpredictable. Consents for alluvial goldmining were much more complex than they were in the early days of the RMA in the 1990s, the chief executive noted. They now had to be assessed against a lengthy list of national policy statements and environmental standards, including Freshwater Management, Indigenous Biodiversity, drinking water, air quality, greenhouse gases, and management of contaminants in soil to protect human health. "We await the government changes to these national instruments and the replacement RMA to see if this becomes simpler ... I agree it would be ideal to have consents and application forms as simple as possible. It is a challenge to have them reflect the law and remain simple." In the meantime, the WCRC consents team was working on new application templates and more guidance for alluvial goldminers, and would bring a paper on this to Council on July or August, Lew said. The council had complicated the process by trying to impose static conditions intended for subdivisions and septic tanks on alluvial mines, Cummings said. "An alluvial site evolves as you work your way through it, so you'll start off with your pumps and your pond, and even your access tracks in one place, and as you move along, you move them along as well, but they're demanding maps and trying to include these all things as fixed conditions on the consent. " Until about a year ago, those details were set out for the council in a separate mine work-programme, which was updated, as the site progressed, Cummings said. "The compliance staff would have that and refer to it, when they did their inspection visits. They didn't try to cram everything into the consent itself - that makes no sense, when you're dealing with a dynamic system. "If you move your pond, you're technically in breach." Hiring more consents staff could help the situation, as long as basic issues were addressed, Cummings said. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Newsroom

7 hours ago

• Newsroom

Luxon's hot minute in the heart of the dragon

It's close to midnight as the Prime Minister swaggers down the stairs of the Airforce 757. Waiting on the tarmac next to the red carpet is the deputy mayor of Shanghai, with his ambassador to China and China's ambassador to New Zealand. Christopher Luxon needn't worry, the welcomes will get grander as the trip progresses. It's a muggy Shanghai night; Luxon doesn't linger. Into his car and the motorcade shifts into gear. His first official visit to one of the world's most consequential countries has begun. Any overseas trip takes preparation, but with China the stakes are high and the climate is … complex. Pre-trip briefings are par for the course. A security briefing from the country's spy agencies is not. Add to the growing 'to do' list: burner phone, burner computer, burner SIM, no wifi, and keep your tech and sensitive belongings on you at all times – just a suggestion, though. Day 1: Deals, deals, deals The sun rises on a 35C day in Shanghai and the dozen-strong media group bustles into the two waiting vans – or 'coasters' – to travel from their very nice hotel to the even nicer hotel where the PM and business leaders are staying. It's time for the first event of the trip: a group photo. The photographers move into position on the scorching concrete balcony high above the city, with a view out over the Bund River and the Shanghai skyline. Prep be damned. When the crowd arrives they mill around, confused. 'Shuffle left', the photographer says, 'now right, more people on that side. And smile!' It's not the last time the group will perform this awkward dance. The official party posing on Shanghai's Bund on morning one. Photo: Pool The selfies done, the group moves into a room with a trio of economics experts. They have impressive CVs and even more impressive TedTalk-esque presentation skills. They talk through global uncertainty caused by toxic tariffs, low consumer and business confidence, and the opportunities for businesses and investors presented by these challenges. The first question in the Q&A session goes to the Prime Minister. He wants to know what's behind the downturn in China's real estate market. You can take the man out of New Zealand, but you can't take the property market obsession out of the man. Ahead of the trip, Luxon names tourism and education as his two priority areas. And true to his word, the first engagement with guts is with China travel booking platform Ctrip ( After the obligatory group photo (shuffle, shuffle, switch), CTrip chief executive Jane Sun leads Luxon to an interactive wall that does little to dispel the west's dystopian future view of China's approach to tech. An eerie AI-generated female voice overlays interactive visualisations bringing to life screeds of visitor data gathered by the booking platform. The Minority Report sheen is broken by one of the data points on the digital wall. Most popular restaurant for Chinese travellers in New Zealand: Ferg Burger. The CTrip data wall. Photo: Supplied Luxon is ushered into a room to record a promotional video. The door is closed behind him. Media move to an open-air balcony to set up for the first of what will be three hot and sweaty press conferences on the trip. The questioning is dominated by visa settings for Chinese travellers. It won't be the last time that topic rears its head on the trip. The delegation piles back into the waiting vehicles – shiny black sedans with flags for ministers, coasters for officials, business heads and media. It's time to pump up the primary sector at an event showcasing grass-fed dairy at the Langham Hotel. Champagne glasses half-full of Fonterra milk sit on the tables around the room. Beside them are miniature flags from the two countries. One delegation member says the milk actually tastes better out of a champagne glass. Maybe it'll catch on back home. Champagne tastes for NZ dairy. Photo: Laura Walters In any country – but especially China – everyone wants a piece of political leaders. Luxon's presence – even if it's a 15-minute whip around – helps grease the wheels. If an unrelenting smile and a whole lot of selfies is what it takes to go for growth, then Luxon is willing. The crew shuffles back into the cars and off to New Zealand Central, where the PM announces a change that will allow kiwi cosmetic brands to export to China. There's the handshakes, the signing, and then the sampling. Luxon shifts into a past persona: Unilever sales mode. This look takes a lot of work, he says, gesturing at his face. But rather than reaching for the antipodes eye cream to put on his own face, he wrangles an unwilling member of the travelling media. Luxon does eventually agree to sample the product himself. It's a day before the PM stops commenting on the journalist's eyes. Back to the PM's hotel for another business announcement, which turns out to be one of the most significant (and unexpected) deals of the trip. The long-talked about Southern Link between China and South America, via Auckland, will be in place by the end of the year. State-owned China Eastern is particularly stoked to announce one of its government's controversial Belt and Road Initiative expansionist projects. The PM says NZ doesn't have any Belt and Road projects, and China knows that. Do they? A warning at Yu Yuan gardens. Photo: Tim Murphy Vibe switch. Luxon has swapped blue suit for blue polo (adorned with a Silver Fern) but without his name and title on it, as in the past. Until now, Luxon has kept up with the bustling metropolis of Shanghai. Now, he's transported to ancient China, walking past the dragon statues and jade gardens of Yu Yuan Gardens with writer Mang Boyong. Mang studied at Waikato University and is a best-seller. Their conversation looks riveting, but no-one can get close enough to hear, as visitors swarm around the PM. Who is this man being followed by cameras and security? A metal plaque sits beside some concrete steps: Caution! Slippery Slope. Seems appropriate. Day 2: Sweating it in Shanghai Luxon starts the day with a visit to Fudan University. After being greeted by a robot, the PM makes his way to the technology gallery, where students are waiting. Following the formal (read: dry) opening remarks, the PM has a Q&A session with the students. One asks about the use of technology and AI to better deliver healthcare – especially to rural and isolated communities. The PM says he believes AI can be used to better connect people with services. For example, if you're a young mother with two kids, it can help you understand 'the entitlements that you're entitled to'. The political journalists in the room exchange glances. Last time the PM spoke about being entitled to entitlements he ended up giving back taxpayer money. One Kiwi student learning Mandarin at Fudan asks about the importance of learning languages to build connections and understanding. Luxon responds: 'You can see we send our brightest students overseas.' Ouch. The PM talks about his quest to learn Mandarin in the '90s. He later divulges he hired a teacher to come to his office every Monday morning at 7am. The pursuit didn't last long, because there was no-one to practise with in Wellington. Perhaps he needed to get out of his bubble. From Fudan, Luxon is whisked away to meet the Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining. It's his first political meeting of the trip and it's held in a big room. This particular room is described by one member of the media delegation as 'one of the most well-lit rooms in communist party history'. All the rooms in China are big and bright. Most of the space isn't used. It feels like a big flex. After his meeting, Luxon walks outside to conduct probably the hottest press conference in history. Not in terms of the spicy questions, or the Prime Minister's hot takes, but thanks to the literal temperature, which rises past 35C (feeling more like 40C on the concrete). Sweat is soon drenching everyone there. Well, almost everyone. As Luxon Lore goes, the PM doesn't sweat. But after 20 minutes in the beating sun, beads are forming on his upper-lip. Luxon mentions the journalist's eyes again, commenting on their softness. It starts to feel uncomfortable – the joke and the heat. The motorcade swings by NZ Central to give the PM what he likes to call a bit of 'executive time'. Ostensibly it's for catching up on any reading or emails, but in this instance it's likely a chance to put his feet up, have a bite of lunch and change. Welcome to Beijing This time the welcome has military personnel lining the red carpet on the tarmac. And China's Customs Minister. Customs as in protocol? one person asks. No. Customs, as in please make sure New Zealand milk keeps flowing over the border. There's enough time to check in and shower (finally) ahead of a Matariki reception held at the New Zealand Embassy on Thursday evening. In some respects, Luxon is unlucky in his timing of the trip, between the Matariki holiday and Iran, Israel and maybe the US threatening an all-out war, the attention of the masses is elsewhere. But China watchers always be watching. Between the drinks and nibbles, Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue impresses with a breathtaking rendition of Pōkarekare Ana, a series of waiata and the crowd-pleasing Ka Mate. Following the PM's speech, Te Matatini-winning kapa haka group supports him with a waiata while Luxon stands with them. Later, Whakaata Māori asks Luxon how he feels being invited to stand with the kapa. Honoured, he says. Big day with the big names in Beijing If the first two days of the trip are hectic, the final day is high-stakes. The media pack makes its way to the Grand Hall of the People situated in the heart of Xi Jinping's seat of power. The rooms, halls and stairways inside G-Hop – as the acronym-loving foreign affairs officials say – puts the grandness of China's other very big rooms to shame. Gold-gilded marble, unfathomably large murals displaying traditional Chinese art, vases big enough for a grown adult to get inside, and yellow velvet curtains. The vast halls are lit by high-wattage bulbs in a series of chandeliers. The people walking through the rooms look like specks; utterly exposed. Travelling minister Mark Mitchell clocks the under-utilised space, and asks if he can rent a corner. It's hard to imagine the police minister getting sign-off on setting up a co-working space in CCP territory. First meeting of the day is with Zhao Leji, the chairman of China's parliamentary assembly. Chinese media includes a state archivist – the film will be kept for 100 years, he says. One of the cameramen has an earpiece that looks more security than broadcaster. On the carpet are two red stickers to indicate where Luxon and Zhao should stand. A dot for Luxon and star for Zhao. To their backs are flags from the respective countries, both crafted from paper and arranged into perfect cones. The press pack is ushered out and then it's a waiting game until Luxon's meeting with Xi. Chinese officials allow liberal media access. Photos, videos, voice recordings – it's all on the table. All 12 travelling media are granted access to the all-important Xi meeting, making the earlier bunfight over who would get the coveted spots wholly redundant. Luxon rounds the corner, flanked by his entourage. When he gets to the door, he pauses, takes a breath, pastes a smile on his face and walks into the room. A performer waiting in the wings, taking that steadying breath and putting on their persona, before stepping on the stage. Luxon with Xi. Photo: Pool The opening remarks start. Xi talks about 'ups and downs'. Luxon refers to global turmoil, calls on China to be a consistent, constructive global force. The PM shows he too can go one-for-one with one of the world's most powerful men. And then they leave, with both sides believing the relationship is 'in good heart'. Just like that, it's time to switch back to trade mode. Off to a posh department store to push kiwifruit. Think Harrods, but with a higher turnover. Then he's on a rooftop, supporting the launch of Tourism New Zealand's 100% Pure campaign. Sounds familiar. Just seven hours before his flight out, Luxon is back at China's Great Hall. And, finally, he receives the pomp and ceremony of a full military welcome. When the marching and anthems are done, Luxon and his counterpart Premier Li Qiang follow the strips of red carpet to inspect the troops. Luxon fights every instinct to not smile, say hello and shake a gun-wielding hand. Instead, a respectful nod. The PM joins the Premier for a banquet dinner. Officials and the business crew stay. The media coasters head off. Without the PM's motorcade the vans move at a crawl along China's boulevard of power. Next to the Great Hall lies Tiananmen Square. There are conspicuous security cameras throughout Beijing, but the clusters around the site of historic bloodshed are something else. No journalists allowed. Dinner has finished and the Prime Minister is running an hour early for his final press conference of the trip. Media hustle out of the local Peking Duck restaurant and move to the embassy to set up. As the sun goes down, journalists spend 25 minutes trying (mostly in vain) to squeeze details of the day's meetings out of the Prime Minister. He's met with the most powerful men from one of the world's most powerful countries, and he's staying mum. The stand-up fast becomes an exercise in creative question composition and reading between the lines. What he will say is that he sees no evidence that China is joining a fearsome foursome of Iran, Russia and North Korea to conspire against the west. That's not how Nato head Mark Rutte sees it. Will Luxon stick to this line once he's in the warm embrace of his security partners in Europe? A couple of days will tell.

Scoop

a day ago

• Scoop

Christopher Luxon Concludes China Trip: 'No Evidence' Of Collaboration With Russia, Iran Or North Korea

Christopher Luxon has wrapped up his trip to China, dismissing suggestions the superpower is working with Russia, Iran or North Korea to undermine the West - as alleged by NATO's top official. The prime minister says he also stressed to China's leaders that engagement in the Pacific must advance the region's interests, but refused to say whether the recent Cook Islands crisis was raised by either side. Speaking late Friday at New Zealand's embassy in Beijing, Luxon said he was leaving "very, very convinced" the bilateral relationship was in "a really strong place and in good heart". The comments followed a day of top-level meetings at the Great Hall of the People, capping a three-day visit to China, Luxon's first as prime minister. The prime minister and his officials now fly on to Belgium and then to the Netherlands, where he will attend the annual NATO summit. Asked about NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte's recent warning that China is working together with Russia, Iran and North Korea, Luxon noted the "Dutch directness" - but indicated a "difference of opinion". "We haven't seen evidence of those four powers coordinating in a way, actively against the West," Luxon said. "We've seen bilateral associations, say, between Russia and North Korea, with respect to the war in Ukraine. We've seen bilateral arrangements between Iran and Russia as well, but we haven't seen evidence of a wholesale force." The rest of the delegation was now returning to New Zealand on the air force 757. Cook Islands questions linger The talks came a day after revelations NewZealand suspended nearly $20 million in funding to the Cook Islands, after its agreements with China earlier this year. Luxon repeatedly refused to say whether that issue, or any other, was discussed behind closed doors. "We need to respect that they are private diplomatic conversations that need to be respected in the privacy of the sanctum." A media statement issued at the end of the trip said Luxon had raised "the need for engagement in the Pacific to take place in a manner which advances Pacific priorities". Pressed to clarify, Luxon said the concern had been well-canvassed: "Making sure that… all major powers that aren't part of the Pacific family… respect the centrality of the Pacific Island Forum." While none of China's leaders directly mentioned the Cook Islands crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun earlier said China's cooperation with the Pacific nation "should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party". Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Friday labelled the funding pause "patronising" and pointed out he had not been consulted on any agreements New Zealand entered with China this trip. Luxon denied any double standard, but said he had "nothing more to add" on the subject. "I'm not going to get into it. I've spoken ad nauseam about the Cooks and the challenge." The prime minister's statement also said he raised "rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific" including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Final talks with Xi and Li Before speaking to reporters, the prime minister took part in an official welcome ceremony at the Great Hall and then a sit-down with his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang. In opening remarks, Li spoke of global turbulence and the need for "mutually beneficial cooperation". He said he had been "deeply impressed" by Luxon's friendship and hospitality during his 2024 visit to Wellington. In response, Luxon said the international challenges made ongoing dialogue more important "even where we differ". The meeting ended with the signing of 11 agreements, promising cooperation in areas including customs, food safety, and tourism. Luxon - and the wider business delegation - then stayed on for a banquet dinner at the Great Hall. Earlier on Friday, Xi said the bilateral relationship had experienced "many ups and downs" but remained respectful and at the forefront of China's Western ties. Luxon meanwhile described the bilateral relationship as "long-standing" and of "great consequence" to New Zealand. "The world looks to China as a major global power to play a constructive role in addressing many of the challenges that are facing us all," he said. Speaking to RNZ before departure, Luxon said he had established "good rapport" with both leaders during their previous meetings. The prime minister last met Xi in November at the APEC summit in Peru. At the time, Luxon characterised their conversation as "warm, positive and constructive" but noted clear differences over the AUKUS defence pact and missile testing in the Pacific.