ECAN Decision Destroys Local Democracy in Canterbury: City Councillor expresses Outrage

Yani Johanson, Christchurch City Councillor

"As a a local city councillor, I am deeply concerned that there appears no protection for local democracy against a greedy Government who it appears is trying to steal local resources such as water at the expense of local representation. This decision also sets a very troubling precedent that the Government can fundamentally change the right of local people to made decisions on behalf of their local communities without any public process to determine what local people want. This Government clearly has no idea of the principle of democracy and has had no public mandate to do what is has done.

There has been no public process to reach this decision which is simply outrageous. Local Mayors who underhandedly wrote a letter to the Minister without any mandate from their Councils also need to be held accountable for the death of local democracy in Canterbury.

The public across New Zealand should be very scared that this Government is going to systematically destroy its local environmental protection under the guise of economic development as we have now seen with water and conservation land

I will continue to investigate every option available to reverse or challenge this completely unacceptable and undemocratic decision. "

ENDS