Landowners to pursue legal opinion over storm damage
Some Tasman district landowners affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita are pushing ahead with plans to seek a legal opinion on whether any entity can be held accountable for some of the damage.
Gita hit the region on February 20, dumping heavy rain that led to multiple slips in pockets of Tasman district. The slips brought down large amounts of silt and debris, some of which came from plantation forests.
Max Clark and Lyn Rombouts live alongside Shaggery Creek, off Motueka River West Bank Rd. Their property was badly affected by the storm, as the usually docile waterway turned into a torrent that carried a huge debris load, including vehicles and logs.
The couple helped to organise a public meeting in mid-May where more than 35 attendees were asked to consider contributing towards the cost of obtaining a legal opinion, estimated to cost between $5000 and $6000 plus GST.
Clark told the gathering that he and Rombouts together with their fellow affected neighbours, Ian and Tracey Ferne, recently looked at the damage, felt the stress of the cleanup, and realised ‘‘we owed it to ourselves and also the people in the community to determine if there’d been any wrongdoing here that should be addressed’’.
The goal was to ensure that any action taken resulted in changes to forestry practices.
‘‘I don’t think any of us are against forestry per se; it’s where and how it’s carried out that is the major concern, and there’s nothing like a solid court decision to make the corporates look up and take action,’’ he said.
Rombouts on Monday said pledges of more than $6000 had been made for the legal opinion, and a letter of engagement was due to be signed.
The pledges had come from a range of contributors, including some people who were not affected by the storm, she said.
‘‘There really is an acknowledgement from far afield that there is a problem. Everyone’s talking about it, everyone’s had enough, everyone wants something safer and better.’’
The bigger issue included ‘‘environmental decay’’ such as sedimentation of the region’s waterways, she said.
‘‘We’re not fighting forestry, we’re fighting inappropriate forestry.’’
‘‘Everyone’s had enough, everyone wants something safer and better.’’ Lyn Rombouts