“News that flood protection work undertaken by the Otago Regional Council may be responsible for killing hundreds of native fish begs the question whether those responsible for enforcing resource management standards on others will be held to account themselves,” asks ACT Environment spokesperson Simon Court.

“Here we have a council whose efforts to mitigate the potential for pollutants leaching from a council landfill have somehow killed a whole lot of precious fish.

“Regional councils are meant to be the environmental watchdog, not the offender.

“Despite the Government’s efforts on water reforms and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 there is nothing serious being done to hold councils to account for their own mismanagement.

“ACT says councils should be held to the same standards they are tasked with enforcing of farmers and other businesses.

“Will Otago Regional Council take action against itself if its investigation into itself finds it’s directly responsible for this environmental disaster?

“I think we all know the answer to that.”

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