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Environment Canterbury’s chairperson says expecting the regional council to debt fund planning work, while giving responsibility to another council is ‘‘terrible governance’’.
Dr Deon Swiggs recounted to councillors at an Environment Canterbury (ECan) meeting on Wednesday, September 23, how he spoke out against a Canterbury Mayoral Forum proposal for the regional council to debt fund the Waitaha Canterbury Regional Spatial Plan work.
The mayoral forum has asked the Christchurch City Council to lead the work of creating a regional spatial plan to set a 30-year strategic direction, planning for growth, housing, transport infrastructure and environmental protection.
The forum had proposed that the regional council take on the debt and then collect contributions from the 10 local councils.
But ECan voted to defer making a decision on debt funding until it had more clarity around costs and funding agreements.
‘‘I was staunch on this at the mayoral forum,’’ Dr Swiggs said.
‘‘We are not the secretariat. Christchurch will hold the pen to the programme and will be doing the invoicing.
‘‘So I think it is terrible governance for us to carry the debt.’’
But Mid-Canterbury councillor Ian Mackenzie said Dr Swiggs’ reasoning was ‘‘poor’’.
‘‘We should be thinking about what is the best outcome for ratepayers.
‘‘From the mayors I have spoken to, this is the preferred approach.’’
The Waitaha Canterbury Regional Spatial Plan is estimated to cost between $7m and $10m, with the costs to be shared between the 11 Canterbury councils.
The Canterbury Mayoral Forum has used a formula of dividing the costs between the councils based on population and geography.
ECan also voted to defer committing to its 20.5 percent funding share, which could be up to $2.05m.
Dr Swiggs said while the Christchurch City Council was taking the lead, ECan staff could be responsible for a higher share of the workload.
‘‘This council will be providing a whole lot of support, so should we charge for it and include it as part of our contribution?
‘‘Otherwise we could end up contributing 30%.’’
South Canterbury councillor Peter Scott said ratepayers would effectively be paying twice, through their local and regional rates bills.
‘‘Have we thought about debt funding it and then collecting all of the cost from the TAs (territorial authorities - local councils)?
‘‘It seems a bit clumsy if we are going to take on that burden.’’
Other Canterbury councils have expressed concern at the financial burden being placed on councils, when the Government is also imposing a rates cap.
Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon has suggested the Government should foot the bill for regional spatial plans.
‘‘We need to consider this alongside amalgamation costs under Head Start,’’ Mr Gordon said earlier this month.
He said regional spatial plans would likely need to be re-done, if new local government structures were established in time for the 2028 local government elections.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
