ACT Local Government spokesman Owen Jennings has congratulated the Westland District Council for its decision to waive resource consent and building fees for a trial period in a bid to encourage growth in the region.

“This is an initiative to be commended, given that council regulations and red tape are often the cause of frustration and a deterrent to those wanting to make investments and see a region grow,” Mr Jennings said.

He said Westland had many potential development opportunities that the council’s new policy would encourage.

“If Westland’s big neighbour (the Department of Conservation) had a similar attitude, Westland would boom,” Mr Jennings said.

He said it was a “crying shame” the Westland District Council had to take a “pitiful handout” from the Government’s $120 million West Coast accord economic package to off-set the cost of its trial scheme to waive resort consent and building fees.

“If the Government had kept its nose out of the West Coast and let Coasters decide their own future through sustainable logging, the Westland District Council could have developed other strategies to carry out its admirable initiative,” Mr Jennings said.

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For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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