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The Western Bay mayor, James Denyer, in a submission of Inquiry into Community-led Retreat and Adaptation Funding, without Council approval under delegated authority calls for land that may be at risk of some form of climate hazard over the next 100 years, to be “mandatorily” taken without compensation by the Council, and for the previous freehold owners then to become leasehold owners and to pay a lease to the Council for their own land.

He however also calls for Maori lands to be compensated by the Crown and for Maori owners to “develop their own approach”.

This personal submission was later ratified after  having already being sent by James, 5 votes for and 5 against, James using his casting vote to approve it.

Crs Rodney Joyce, Alan Sole and Tracey Coxhead spoke strongly against this compulsory taking of private (white and Asian owned) land without compensation, Cr Joyce calling it a Venezuelan type theft.

The mayor also thought it was a good idea that people “mandatorily” deprived of the freehold ownership of their own land should continue to pay the mortgage on that land, in response to questioning from Cr Tracey Coxhead.