In recent weeks the government has announced sweeping reforms to local government, beginning with an intent to disestablish regional councils, introduce council budget caps and most recently changes around the ageing and often challenging Resource Management Act (RMA).
The intent of the signalled change is to create a local government structure that removes duplication, streamlines interaction, is user-friendly, cost-effective, allows our communities to thrive and provides the necessary protections for our natural environment.
Central government will need to make adjustments to many of their functions to ensure the proposed changes are successful and importantly for all, enduring.
We all must align our strengths to get the very best result for our communities and New Zealand.
The Otago Regional Council is looking forward to being involved in those conversations with the government about the shape and future for local government.
While the new direction is being set and the proposals are worked through, the ORC still has an important job to do, and our staff will continue to do the best job they can for Otago.
The ORC’s immediate focus remains firmly on business as usual, until the details of the proposed changes become clear and legislation has been passed in Parliament.
We have paused some work plans that are reliant on yet to be confirmed government direction. Changes will not be overnight and nothing has been scrapped under the recent reform proposals; people must maintain their responsibilities when it comes to protecting our environmental resources.
The ORC’s functions and responsibilities also remain in place, and it’s important that we continue to deliver great work for the region.
For the ORC it is relatively "business as usual" at present: setting our annual plan with a zero rate increase; issuing and reviewing consents; compliance monitoring, education and enforcement; river management and flood and drainage scheme works; science to support environmental outcomes; public transport delivery and planning; harbour master functions; emergency management preparedness and the ongoing functions around monitoring Otago’s air, land, waterways and natural hazards.
The ORC’s work programmes and commitments will continue.
We are committed to continuing the annual ECO Fund grants of more than $900,000, delivering the recently announced $7.8 million to be spent on six Otago flood and drainage projects, our super-important summer water-monitoring and boat safety initiatives and Otago-wide natural hazards assessments.
I acknowledge, from first-hand experience, that the reforms are posing questions for those with current ORC consents; be it for farming, irrigation, land developments, wastewater, water takes or discharges.
Existing consent holders should observe their current consent conditions and compliance responsibilities, until the full details of the RMA and the other reforms become clear.
In the meantime, if any consent holder is unsure of their obligations ORC staff are available to clarify what steps need to be taken.
Jump on the phone or email our team — don’t sit worrying about what you should or shouldn’t be doing. We have a great team ready to help.
The government’s proposals are significant reforms happening at pace across all local government structures and the resource management space.
I have been reassured that all proposals will be subject to public consultation and feedback from iwi and other stakeholders, such as the district and city councils in the region, before there is legislative change enacted.
The existing rules everyone has been working with remain in place until legislation has passed the House, which at that point, timeframes for change will be advised
In the meantime, the ORC will be maintaining its focus on the delivery of work programmes, including monitoring and responding to any issues as normal.
Regardless of any future changes, the ORC will continue to produce the high-quality work it has committed to deliver. Certainly, the best way to show value to our community is by delivering positive outcomes through our work programmes and community engagement.
All the existing expectations, commitments and obligations of the ORC, our current consent holders, stakeholders and partners remain in place and the ORC will continue to engage positively across all those fronts.
We are in a world that the only constant appears to be "change". I am comfortable with the intent of this significant change to the form and function of local government but we’ll need to ensure that the intent is delivered.
Our aim is to do the best job we can to set Otago up to be the best it can be, ahead of any future changes.
• Kevin Malcolm is a three-term Otago regional councillor for the Moeraki ward and the ORC’s deputy chairman.
