Dear Adam

Thank you for your information request of 24 July 2025 seeking information
on joint witness statements (JWS) on WCRC regional plans. We will proceed
to process your request under the Local Government Official Information
and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) and will endeavour to respond to your
request no later than Thursday 21 August 2025, being 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your
request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Kind regards

Dearne

 

Governance Team | West Coast Regional Council

[1][email address] [3]Facebook [4]Twitter [5]YouTube
 |[2]+64 3 768 0466  
[6]West Coast Regional Council Website

 

 

    

------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Dom C <[7][FOI #31746 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 24 July 2025 1:16 pm
To: WCRC Information <[8][West Coast Regional Council request email]>
Subject: [BULK] Official Information request - JWS regional plans

 

Caution! This message was sent from outside your organization.

Dear West Coast Regional Council,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
information:

1. The most recent joint witness statements (JWS) involving environmental
scientists or technical experts that discuss the setting or reviewing of
freshwater targets, limits, criteria, or thresholds,
2. These statements should relate to your most recent regional plan change
where such matters were addressed.

If no JWS exist, please confirm whether any expert conferencing or similar
collaborative evidence processes took place, and provide the relevant
outputs (e.g., conferencing reports, summary statements, or meeting
notes).

Please provide the documents in digital format.

If any part of this request is likely to require substantial collation or
processing, I am happy to refine it in consultation with you.

Yours faithfully,
Adam

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[9][FOI #31746 email]

Is [10][West Coast Regional Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to West Coast Regional Council? If so, please contact us using
this form:
[11]https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com?...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[12]https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com?...

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. file:///tmp/tel:+64%203%20768%200466%20ext.%209149
3. https://www.facebook.com/westcoastregion...
4. https://www.twitter.com/WCRCNZ
5. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzOW5ic...
6. https://www.wcrc.govt.nz/
7. mailto:[FOI #31746 email]
8. mailto:[West Coast Regional Council request email]
9. mailto:[FOI #31746 email]
10. mailto:[West Coast Regional Council request email]
11. https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com/...
12. https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com/...

Dear Adam

Further to your official information request received at the Council on 24
July 2025 seeking information on joint witness statements (JWS) on West
Coast Regional Council (WCRC) plans, we have processed your request under
the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA).  We
have decided to grant your request. 

 

There were two occasions in the Plan Change 1 process to the Regional Land
and Water Plan where technical experts reached agreement on Plan
provisions for Schedule 1 and 2 wetland-related matters.

 

1.      Expert ecologists for Department of Conservation (DOC), WCRC
(Landcare Research) and moss harvesters were involved in a collaborative
process for reviewing proposed rule options for sphagnum moss (SM)
harvesting in Schedule 2 wetlands. There was no joint witness statement
but the attached Section 32AA Evaluation Report recommended adding a new
Permitted Activity Rule 7A to the Land and Water Plan for SM harvesting in
Schedule 2 wetlands subject to conditions.  The s32AA Report includes a
summary of the process and where the parties reached agreement (refer pg
175ff).   

 

The Land and Water Plan with the new permitted Rule 7A Harvesting of
Sphagnum Moss within Schedule 2 wetlands, Pages 65/66 is available on
Council’s website:
[1]https://www.wcrc.govt.nz/repository/libr...

 

2.      The other occasion was to resolve different views between a
Council Wetland Assessor and a DOC Ecologist on proposed amendments to
correct errors in several mapped boundaries of some Schedule 2 wetlands on
private land in the Regional Land and Water Plan. In the third Hearing for
Plan Change 1, the two parties reached agreement on the boundaries of the
last three wetlands to be resolved. Attached is a copy of their Caucusing
Evidence.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Please contact us at [3][email address] if you have any
further queries.

 

Regards

Dearne

 

Governance Team | West Coast Regional Council

[4][email address] [6]Facebook [7]Twitter [8]YouTube
 |[5]+64 3 768 0466  
[9]West Coast Regional Council Website

 

 

From: Dearne Thompson <[10][email address]> On Behalf Of
Official Information
Sent: Friday, 25 July 2025 10:17 AM
To: [11][FOI #31746 email]
Subject: REQ-2025-3549 - Acknowledgement of Request - JWS regional plans

 

Dear Adam

Thank you for your information request of 24 July 2025 seeking information
on joint witness statements (JWS) on WCRC regional plans. We will proceed
to process your request under the Local Government Official Information
and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) and will endeavour to respond to your
request no later than Thursday 21 August 2025, being 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your
request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Kind regards

Dearne

Governance Team | West Coast Regional Council

[12][email address] [14]Facebook [15]Twitter [16]YouTube
 |[13]+64 3 768 0466  
[17]West Coast Regional Council Website

 

 

    

------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Dom C <[18][FOI #31746 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 24 July 2025 1:16 pm
To: WCRC Information <[19][West Coast Regional Council request email]>
Subject: [BULK] Official Information request - JWS regional plans

 

Caution! This message was sent from outside your organization.

Dear West Coast Regional Council,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
information:

1. The most recent joint witness statements (JWS) involving environmental
scientists or technical experts that discuss the setting or reviewing of
freshwater targets, limits, criteria, or thresholds,
2. These statements should relate to your most recent regional plan change
where such matters were addressed.

If no JWS exist, please confirm whether any expert conferencing or similar
collaborative evidence processes took place, and provide the relevant
outputs (e.g., conferencing reports, summary statements, or meeting
notes).

Please provide the documents in digital format.

If any part of this request is likely to require substantial collation or
processing, I am happy to refine it in consultation with you.

Yours faithfully,
Adam

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[20][FOI #31746 email]

Is [21][West Coast Regional Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to West Coast Regional Council? If so, please contact us using
this form:
[22]https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com?...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[23]https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com?...

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. https://www.wcrc.govt.nz/repository/libr...
2. https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com/...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. file:///tmp/tel:+64%203%20768%200466%20ext.%209149
6. https://www.facebook.com/westcoastregion...
7. https://www.twitter.com/WCRCNZ
8. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzOW5ic...
9. https://www.wcrc.govt.nz/
10. mailto:[email address]
11. mailto:[FOI #31746 email]
12. mailto:[email address]
13. file:///tmp/tel:+64%203%20768%200466%20ext.%209149
14. https://www.facebook.com/westcoastregion...
15. https://www.twitter.com/WCRCNZ
16. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzOW5ic...
17. https://www.wcrc.govt.nz/
18. mailto:[FOI #31746 email]
19. mailto:[West Coast Regional Council request email]
20. mailto:[FOI #31746 email]
21. mailto:[West Coast Regional Council request email]
22. https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com/...
23. https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com/...