The possibility a proposed regional wilding trees trust could be a "spider web in disguise" has the Otago Regional Council taking a cautious approach to its formation.
This week, the council considered a draft charitable trust deed produced after the Otago Mayoral Forum (the region's five mayors and the regional council chairman) proposed the establishment of an Otago Wildings Trust to oversee the issues of wilding trees throughout Otago.
Although the regional council received 73 submissions on its long-term plan on wilding trees and calls for funding, it turned them down but decided to contribute $10,000 towards the establishment of the trust, subject to the approval of the trust deed and proposed representation.
Chairman Stephen Woodhead said when he first saw the deed at the forum he "experienced significant concern" at its form and made his views clear, receiving "some heat as a result of that".
"We do not see it as a regional problem and it's not in our regional pest strategy. It's being driven as primarily a landscape issue."
The regional council had an "informal" agreement with district councils that landscape was their responsibility.
"I have significant discomfort with the document."
Cr Duncan Butcher said the draft deed needed more work but he did not see the regional council being part of the trust or that it would be a local government-run trust.
The council should just note the draft and send the amendments it believed needed to be made back to the Mayoral Forum, he said.
Cr Michael Deaker said the trust was not the issue, it was wilding trees, and there seemed to be a move by lobbyists to involve the council in their battle against wilding trees.
"The bigger issue is the landscape debate and it's going to get much noisier," Cr Deaker said.
The council was coming under increasing criticism for not "pulling its weight" over the matter, he said, calling for staff to provide a report on how other regional councils dealt with the wilding pine issue.
"I'd like to see a paper give that side of the issue so it's not just a ... spider web in disguise."
Cr Doug Brown said the suggestion of bringing a report to council on the wilding pine issue would end up with the council "getting sucked into the political debate" around wildings.
Councillors agreed they supported the development of an Otago Wilding Pine Trust but that the draft deed, with its suggested amendments, be sent back to the Mayoral Forum to be considered alongside feedback from other councils.
Staff were directed to prepare a report outlining council responsibilities on the issue and what roles other regional councils played.
