By Nikki Macdonald
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Now [residents in Matatā] could lose even the right to live in the steel box, as Whakatane District Council wants to buy out the residents to clear the area. They call it voluntary retreat, but if the residents refuse, the regional council could use the Resource Management Act to snuff out their existing land use rights – turfing them out without compensation.
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The danger comes from the 2-metre creek that cuts through the hills behind and winds through the houses of Pioneer Pl, Arawa St, Clem Elliott Dve and Richmond St.
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A group was set up between council and six residents to consider [risk reduction] options, such as early warning systems. They were also rejected as unworkable, but many residents still believe the council could and should reduce the risk, as it has done in other areas, such as Ohope.
The only option left was to move residents out. [Jeff] Farrell [Whakatane District Council strategic project manager] says while the council's preference was a voluntary buyout, it had a legal responsibility to reduce high natural hazard risks, once they were identified. That was a requirement introduced by the regional council, through its Regional Policy Statement.
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Christina Hanna is writing a PhD on managed retreat, and used Matatā as a case study. She found that forcing residents out immediately after the disaster would have been more efficient and less harmful to the community, but that overcoming the rebuild mentality is challenging. She also believes more national direction is needed to help councils decide when – and how – to walk away.
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