A stoney-faced Allan Birchfield at the top table, right, shortly before he called the council meeting to order on Tuesday where he was sacked. Councillor Birchfield's replacement and former deputy Peter Haddock sits to his right. Photo: Greymouth Star/Brendon McMahon
The West Coast Regional Council will undergo a full "reset" under new chairman, councillor Peter Haddock.
At the extraordinary meeting on Tuesday that rolled former chairman councillor Allan Birchfield, Haddock voiced his concern the council could be replaced by a commissioner.
Today he sidestepped the Grey Valley gold dredge issue as the 'flashpoint' which resulted in Birchfield being put on leave in December for months, and ultimately part of the reason his councillors sacked him.
The Greymouth Star understands new councillors were shocked to find out the council had been carrying a $157,000 debt from its business unit VCS, which had previously paid for the resource consent renewals and marketing of the dredge, owned by Birchfield Minerals.
Haddock said it was "not one item" that led up to the vote on Tuesday.
"I think the reason for council deciding will come out in the wash in the long term ... I believe the council has got to look forward - it's no use looking to the past."
However, the "disconnect" he referred to on Tuesday between Birchfield and council chief executive Heather Mabin had affected every level of the council operation, including staff morale.
"We've got to move forward and we've got to make positive changes for the ratepayers.
"No one can blame the previous council - there's just so much stuff to deal with," Haddock said.
Councillor Frank Dooley referred on Tuesday to walking into a "toxic environment" at the council, and noted the positive change in the past few months since Haddock had been acting chairman.
"It's not just because the chair's changed," Haddock said on Thursday.
Peter Haddock is the new chair of the West Coast Regional Council. Photo: Supplied via LDR
He offered an olive branch to Birchfield.
"We hope Allan will come back. We think he's got a lot to contribute to the council."
Haddock said he now wanted to see a reset at the council.
"I want everyone to work in a team environment, right from council to the chief executive to the staff.
"We want to have the regional council so it's operating on a really good functioning basis within its legal perimeters - we want the regional council to be a good place for people to work. That starts from the top down."
The new chair has offered an olive branch to former chair Allan Birchfield (pictured) saying he hoped Birchfield would return to council. Photo: Greymouth Star / Brendon McMahon
Mabin is due to leave the council in June - the third chief executive in three years - and Haddock said they were now in the latter stage of recruiting for a replacement and for other senior management vacancies.
Management had been under strain, and were also faced with a "tsunami" of government change affecting the function of local government.
"Part of the refocus is that the council will be looking at its values and bringing all of the council functions back in house."
Currently it was too reliant on outside consultants, though he acknowledged it sometimes had no choice.
It faced substantial challenges in its workload and funding.
The Te Tai o Poutini Plan was a significant factor "because it's unfair for our ratepayers to fund $5 million" for a process that was imposed on the West Coast by the government, which had only contributed $200,000, Haddock said.
Another big challenge was bringing dozens of special rating districts to order, he said.
Meanwhile, Mabin said management had kept the Department of Internal Affairs officials appraised of the move to change the chair.
The council knew it was always being monitored from Wellington, Mabin said.
"All our key stakeholders use media monitors to monitor what happens in council."
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