Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Meeting with Ministers frank discussion of future

Meeting with Ministers frank discussion of future for regional council

Environment Canterbury’s chairman Alec Neill, deputy chair Jo Kane, Cr Bob Kirk and chief executive Dr Bryan Jenkins met with Environment Minister Nick Smith, Minister of Local Government Dr Rodney Hide and key ministerial staff, Sue Powell (Environment), Deborah James (Internal Affairs) and Simon Beattie (press secretary to Nick Smith) on Tuesday night March 16.

Cr Neill noted the frank discussion between the parties and said councillors had a good opportunity to talk through how their suggestion of a negotiated agreement, employing a commissioner-advisor and advisory group and retaining the democratically-elected council structure for all functions other than water, could operate.

“We reiterated the value of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and the need for the Government to ensure it has a legal mandate if it is to deliver the protection to water which many communities are demanding. The regional council has agreed to impose a rate on behalf of the territorial councils which are the partners in the strategy, an increase of 4% on the existing regional council rates bill, to fund the restoration programmes outlined in its first steps.

“Hand in hand with those cultural and environmental restoration programmes is the need for the water executive to advance sustainable delivery of water resources to benefit our communities economically and socially. That is what the mayors want and that is what the regional council and central Government also wants. We have much more in common around water and its sustainable management than has been portrayed recently.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“We heard the Ministers concerns around the strategy and believe these can be surmounted through a mandating programme as well as by implementing the reforms of the Resource Management Act and the work of the Land and Water Forum which this Government has initiated.

“We now have to wait to hear which of the four options put forward by the Government is taken up. Option three – removing the council entirely and appointing a number of commissioners - is not favoured by the majority of regional councillors and we believe the communities of Canterbury would also be uneasy with this choice. It was clear to us that the Government is well aware of the political risks involved in removing locally elected community representatives for any period of time.”

Cr Neill said much of the work being done by the regional council would continue to be done regardless of the governance structure. “Much of what Environment Canterbury does has to be done because it is a legal requirement and because the council’s own long term council community plan has laid out a contract between the council and its people under the Local Government Act. That commitment has to be maintained in some shape or form for a governing body to have any hope of succeeding in meeting social, economic, cultural and environmental bottom-lines.

“The territorial councils and mayors seem to have the impression that the appointment of a commissioner will automatically improve the relationship between Environment Canterbury and themselves when we know they have significant and ongoing non-compliance issues with consents around stormwater and sewage. It is hard to see how that tension and the need for all councils to comply with the Resource Management Act, like every member of the community, would alter with a commissioner in charge.”

He was hopeful that the Government decision would be soon and that staff and other groups would have a clearer idea of where the organisation was heading leading into this year’s proposed Local Body Elections and beyond.

ENDS


© Scoop Media

 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.