Environment Southland is backing the Invercargill City council’s bid for single, Southland-wide council.

ES chair Jeremy McPhail announced on Wednesday it had agreed a single Southland-wide council would better suit the delivery of the regional council’s functions rather than a two-council option.

“While we don’t have any official capacity to put a proposal forward, we are in a position to support the decision-making and advocate for the critical catchment-based and regional scale services we deliver, which underpin Southland’s regional economy and lifestyle,” Mr McPhail said in a statement.

ES agreed to write a letter in support of ICC’s one unitary council proposal, provided it incorporated integrated catchment management, environmental protection, meaningful local voice, Treaty obligations and preserving regional council capability and expertise.

“It’s essential that our functions — from river and flood management to biosecurity and natural resource management — are given priority in any new local government structure so Southland can continue to thrive.”

Of the region’s four councils, Southland District Council has called for a two-unitary authority model and Gore District Council has yet to make a decision. — Allied Media