The Grey District Council (GDC) insists it does not have a role in fixing the breach in the Cobden seawall which has left some Domett Esplanade residents "nervous" after surge flooding last year.
But it says fixing the Domett Esplanade rock wall is urgent — and it is a job for the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC).
Seawater topped the wall on June 14 last year, inundating several properties.
At the first meeting of the new triennium for the joint committee, Greymouth Mayor Tania Gibson, chairing the meeting, ticked off the regional council.
Among the district council grievances were the delays in reconvening a new meeting since the last one was aborted almost as soon as it started, last September.
Mrs Gibson said the eight-month delay was unacceptable, given she had called that meeting to urgently address the problem for Domett Esplanade residents.
GDC members arrived at the September meeting without agendas, and her council had no input into the agenda for the meeting last week, she said.
The 175-page agenda arrived two days before the meeting.
Mrs Gibson emphasised it was a joint committee.
Regional council chairman Peter Haddock said the latest agenda had been distributed to the district council administration in a timely manner but it appeared it was not "forwarded on."
The mayor said she was aware there had been a system error.
Cr Haddock noted an informal offer was made to give the district council rock from the closed Cobden quarry to top up the Domett Esplanade wall, but Mrs Gibson maintained it was not her council’s responsibility.
"GDC do think the responsibility for that was for the WCRC to fix those works," she said.
Cr Haddock said it was not a regional council function.
"That wall is owned by the GDC, not the regional council," he said.
However, his council was happy to try to move things forward, including helping with applications for a new Government subsidy available to address climate-related problems.
Ultimately, though, the Domett Esplanade wall sat with the GDC, Cr Haddock said.
Regional council deputy chairman Brett Cummings said the seawall simply needed to be brought into the rating district for the Greymouth floodwall.
"We’ve talked about this ever since I’ve been on the regional council. It’s either got to be our problem or your problem. As far as I’m concerned, I would rather it was our problem."
The joint committee agreed the council chief executives should discuss the matter further before a fresh meeting next month.
By Brendon McMahon
