Regional councils 'safe'

Criticisms of regional councils and their abilities to protect the environment might lead some to question their future, but their demise was not being considered by Environment Minister Nick Smith, his spokesman said yesterday.

The group that advised Mr Smith on the National Government's proposal to simplify the Resource Management Act, suggested the Government's intention to establish an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) left open the question of how the boundary between the powers and responsibilities of the EPA and those of regional government would be drawn.

In an advisory report to the minister, the group suggested an option was a move towards a two-tier system, splitting regional council functions between the EPA and territorial local authorities.

Otago Regional Council chairman Stephen Cairns said if regional councils were to be axed, a total reorganisation of local government would be required and a process such as that could have implications for other territorial local authorities.

He did not believe that chapter in the report was a consensus view of the technical advisory group and Mr Smith did not ask for or expect those thoughts, Mr Cairns said.

"I think [chapter] seven was a very superficial covering of the issue."

The chapter quoted a Massey University study as saying overall environmental conditions had deteriorated nationally since 1989 when regional councils were created and that councils collectively appeared to be unable to manage difficult and important environmental challenges.

Mr Cairns said it was a very "biased" description, especially when the Otago Regional Council's successes were taken into consideration.

A spokesman for Mr Smith said the chapter did not form part of the advisory group's recommendations to the minister, which were focused on simplifying and streamlining the Resource Management Act, and no work was being done on the issue.