The embattled West Coast Regional Council chairman Allan Birchfield. Photo: Supplied via LDR
An under-siege West Coast Regional Council chairman says he will not budge and intends to see out the process signed off by all six of his councillors to unseat him.
Allan Birchfield also revealed today that councillors had already leaned on him prior to their formal request, dated 2 March, calling for an extraordinary meeting on 28 March to remove him as chairman.
"There had been some discussion - they tried to talk me into standing down but I said no," Birchfield told the Greymouth Star today.
He has been on 'gardening leave' from the council since December and was due back at the council table at the end of March.
A phone call yesterday morning from the Greymouth Star just as the monthly council meeting was about to start was the first he had heard of the coup.
Birchfield said he later found that their letter had been e-mailed to him at 9.45am on Tuesday - 45 minutes before the meeting was due to start.
"I honestly didn't know that (coup) was coming."
In a statement today, the council said several councillors had tried to meet with Birchfield to discuss the issue and provide a 'heads up'.
Birchfield is now in his seventh term on the regional council, including its predecessor the Westland Catchment Board, and his second term as chairman.
Between now and the 28 March meeting he intended to keep comment on his intentions to a minimum, he said.
But he was "definitely not standing down".
The formal removal process instigated by the other councillors was "not clear cut".
"I'm going to play my cards close to my chest. We will be having the meeting on March 28, I will be there. I will be chairing it if necessary ... it's not as cut and dry as you think."
Community support had flooded in since the news broke on Tuesday, he said.
Calm before the storm: The freshly inducted West Coast Regional Council in October with from left, Andy Campbell, Peter Ewen, Peter Haddock, Allan Birchfield, Frank Dooley, Mark McIntyre, and Brett Cummings. Photo: Greymouth Star / Brendon McMahon via LDR
He had fielded a lot of calls "and they want me to stay".
Acting chairman Peter Haddock on Wednesday said councillors had not made the decision lightly, but had made it unanimously. It had been supported by Poutini Ngāi Tahu.
"We recognise the work of Cr Birchfield through his many years on council. He is a stalwart of the community and his input around the table is always appreciated.
"This decision has been made with the best interests of the ratepayers, partner agencies and other stakeholders.
"Council is committed to carrying on with the significant work programme ahead of it."
First-term councillor Frank Dooley, from Westport, who has expressed concern at the council table about reputational risk, would not say today if he had spearheaded the process to remove Birchfield.
Haddock had been delegated to address the collective action to remove the chairman, Dooley said.
"I've got no comment. The only person to make comment from council is Peter Haddock."
Dooley also declined to say if he was interested in standing as chairman: "You'll find out on the 28th."
On Tuesday, Haddock declined to comment on his interest in taking up the chairman's role full-time.
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