ORC wary of lobbyists' self-interests

Peter Bodeker
Peter Bodeker
The Otago Regional Council has delayed establishing a stakeholder consultation group after hearing that national lobbyists could be like ''ferrets fighting in a sack'', and undermine the council's interests.

During recent public submissions on the ORC's proposed 10-year long-term plan, several submitters voiced concerns that the ORC had not established an external stakeholder group involving the implementation of its rural water quality plan.

This was despite that group having been part of an Environment Court mediation that had paved the way for the 6A plan to be implemented by 2020.

A report by ORC chief executive Peter Bodeker setting out the proposed composition of the about 10-strong group was tabled at an ORC meeting yesterday.

Mr Bodeker recommended the national external stakeholder group be established so that knowledge about the council's ''unique'' approach rural water quality management was ''shared with stakeholders across New Zealand''.

Mr Bodeker recommended the appointment to the group of the chief executive, or other nominees, of nine national organisations and Government departments, comprising Federated Farmers, New Zealand Forestry Owners Association, Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation, Fish and Game, Forest and Bird, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu , New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management, and Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand.

The ORC chief executive, as well as ORC chairman Stephen Woodhead and possibly an independent group chairman would also be involved.

The stakeholder group would have several roles, including to act as a ''a conduit for information'' between the respective organisations and the ORC, providing feedback on progress within stakeholder sectors, and to represent ''national stakeholder interests in the audit'' of water plan's implementation.

Cr Michael Deaker said he was ''very nervous'' about aspects of the proposals, including the group's wide-ranging brief.

He was also concerned that different national sector groups could ending up ''fighting like ferrets in a sack'', without having detailed local knowledge of the ORC's water plan.

And the ORC could come under heavy pressure and find it hard to pursue some of its key goals, including in improved rural water quality, he said.

Mr Bodeker said there was considerable interest elsewhere in the country in the ORC's distinctive approach to rural water quality, and the heads of national organisations were familiar with this, because of feed-back from their respective members in Otago.

External stakeholder input was being sought but accountability and the ''final decisions'' were a matter for the ORC itself, he said.

Several councillors strongly supported setting up the group immediately but an amended recommendation resulted in its formation being delayed while further detailed work was completed on aspects of the proposal.

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