In 2013 it was agreed that an Otago water quality stakeholder group should be established, as part of an Environment Court mediation, to help resolve previous objections to the regional council's 6A water quality plan.
Several submitters to the regional council's latest long-term plan early last year asked why the group had not been established.
Last year, Cr Michael Deaker spoke out over just-tabled proposals to have a more nationally oriented external stakeholder group established.
The proposals aimed for knowledge about the council's ‘‘unique'' approach to rural water quality management to be ‘‘shared with stakeholders across New Zealand''.
Several other councillors also voiced misgivings, and establishment of the group was further delayed.
After recent questions from the Otago Daily Times, ORC management officials said a stakeholder group would be set up early this year.
A ‘‘technical'' stakeholder group had already been established, involving Otago rural industry groups, and a ‘‘high level advisory group'' was also being proposed, officials said.
The latter group would ‘‘represent national stakeholder interests'' in the audit of the implementation of water quality provisions, and ‘‘provide input to any required change to the strategic approach''.
When asked for comment, Cr Deaker said he would ‘‘much prefer it to be a regional group''.
‘‘What I'm anxious to avoid is any kind of direction coming into the way we manage Otago resources from people outside of Otago.''
The council's distinctive 6A water plan had been produced after consultation over ‘‘several years with Otago people'', and it reflected the nature of Otago rivers and geography, and big challenges with water availability.
He asked why would the council should ‘‘open it up for possible interference by people from outside Otago'' by developing a somewhat nationally focused oversight body.‘‘That's our business entirely. It's our water plan,'' he said.
Setting up a partly national external oversight group was ‘‘completely unnecessary'' and could be seen as ‘‘backing away from our responsibility for our water and our region'', he said.
