Deadline for embattled councillor’s resignation looms

If the Southland Fish & Game councillor facing backlash over his comments about "chick scientists" does not resign, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage might intervene in the matter, a source says.

The Southland Fish & Game Council earlier this week passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in Cr Ken Cochrane, and asked for his resignation by 4pm today.

Yesterday, chairman Graeme Watson said "there’s no resignation yet".

He had yet to speak to him.

"We emailed him last night giving all the details about our decision. Now it is up to him — we gave plenty of time for him to consider his position in the council."

Mr Watson said he had never experienced such a situation in his 11 years at the council.

The council had spent years building a good relationship with the Department of Conservation.

It did not want that relationship to be compromised by one member’s offensive comments.

"As soon the comments came out, we wrote a letter to the minister apologising and [saying] we would address the matter straight away."

When asked if Cr Cochrane might refuse to resign, Mr Watson preferred not to speculate.

"We have to take one step at a time because we want to get the process right.

"[If he does not resign] we will have to address the matter."

Other avenues were possible but he could not comment on what they might be.

However, a source close to the national Fish & Game council told the Otago Daily Times if Cr Cochrane refused to quit, Ms Sage could intervene.

"If Southland council — who asked for his resignation — and Mr Cochrane could not resolve their differences, potentially the minister could be asked to remove Mr Cochrane from the council," the source said.

While each regional council was responsible for itself, the minister was "the one [person] that could, might take some action", the source said.

Section 26ZA of the Conservation Act says any member of a Fish & Game Council may "at any time be removed from office by the Minister for bankruptcy, inability to perform the functions of the office, neglect of duty, or misconduct, or a conviction for an offence involving sports fish or game or protected wildlife".

The minister could also remove a member of the council for failure to carry out any of its or his or her functions under the Conservation or the Wildlife Acts.

Ms Sage said yesterday she was aware of Wednesday’s resolution.

"I am confident that Southland Fish & Game can resolve the issue."

Mr Cochrane yesterday declined to comment to the Otago Daily Times.

In a text message, he wrote: "Sorry, the damage you have done is not able to be repaired."

The controversy started after Cr Cochrane shared his thoughts at a Southland Recreational Whitebaiters Association meeting at the weekend.

There, he spoke about Doc’s whitebait management discussion document, proposing changes to whitebaiting.

"I sat there one day and I thought, what I am listening to is a whole bunch of chick scientists, and if you really looked at the view that they were pitching, [it] was everybody in New Zealand should not shave their armpits, they should wear dreadlocks, and when they go whitebaiting they should do it in jandals only," he said.

The consultation ends on March 16 and Cr Cochrane has until 4pm today to resign.