ECan offers plan in wake of sacking call

Environment Canterbury has put up its own proposals to retain its elected council in the wake of a critical Government report which recommends its council be sacked and replaced with an appointed commission.

The proposals, which follow the Environment Canterbury's (ECan) council meeting behind closed doors to discuss alternatives to those in the report, has been approved by a vote of 11 councillors to three.

The Government report, prepared at the request of Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide, was critical of ECan's water management performance, finding it fell well short of what was essential and requiring "comprehensive and rapid intervention" by the Government.

It recommended ECan be split in two, with water management being handed to a Canterbury Regional Water Authority appointed by the Government, while ECan retained other regional functions.

It also recommended the 14-member elected council be replaced by a temporary commission while the split was being managed.

Now, ECan has come up with its own proposals, which will form a submission to Government before it makes a final decision in relation to the report's recommendations.

Councillors have proposed a split governance system which would retain an elected council and also lift the council's water management performance.

While the council would continue to manage functions outside of water, a Government-appointed commissioner-adviser would direct water management, supported by an advisory group with largely local, elected representation.

The advisory group would comprise ECan chairman Alec Neill, one representative of Ngai Tahu, one member of the Canterbury mayoral forum, two members of the Local Government New Zealand regional affairs committee (unitary council and regional council mayors, chairs and chief executives), as well as the commissioner-adviser.

Mr Neill said having a democratically elected council for all functions outside of water management working alongside a water commissioner-adviser and group would preserve Cantabrians' democratic right to regional representation and provide input into water management.

"The large majority [of councillors] has endorsed the proposal to enter into a negotiated agreement with the Minister for the Environment on the delivery of water management in Canterbury."

This would ensure Canterbury ratepayers would vote for regional councillors in October's local body elections and there would be no need for the Government to pass special legislation disbanding the council.

ECan's proposal would protect the local vote as well as acknowledge the Government's requirement for faster and better tools and systems for managing water, Mr Neill said.

"The council, like the Government, also wants to meet expectations and lift performance in water management."

Mr Neill said key advantages of the proposal included the ability to provide a transition to broader organisational change in a collaborative way and ensuring the strongly supported Canterbury Water Management Strategy would continue to be rolled out.

South Canterbury councillor Bronwen Murray said that given New Zealanders lived in a democracy, the right to elect local government representatives should be sacrosanct. This was a key reason she was supporting the councillors' proposal, she said.

The Government report and submissions, including ECan's proposals, will be considered by a Government group composed of Mr Hide and Mr Smith, as well as Canterbury MPs Kate Wilkinson, David Carter and Gerry Brownlee before going to the Cabinet.