Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Environment Canterbury report warning for councils
Environment Canterbury report puts all regional councils
on notice
The Ministers for the
Environment and Local Government have released the report
Investigation of the Performance of Environment
Canterbury under the Resource Management Act and Local
Government Act.
The report recommends that the council be sacked and replaced with a Commissioner until fresh elections are held in 2013 and that a Canterbury Regional Water Authority be established to take over responsibility for water management from the regional council.
Commenting on the Report, the Chairman of the Environmental Defence Society noted the strong language used in it.
"The Report does not mince words," said Gary Taylor.
"It is written in strong language that leaves no room for doubt. The review panel considers the management of 70% of New Zealand's water resources to be completely unsatisfactory and recommends the establishment of a completely new institutional framework to replace ECan.
"The panel has come up with the concept of a specialist Water Authority. This is similar to the framework that operated before the RMA was enacted in 1991 with the biggest positive difference being that the new Authority would be appointed and not elected.
"In our view the Report needs to be taken seriously and government will have to act on it.
"But water problems are not confined to Canterbury. Certainly that is the region with the most irrigation but water quality problems are evident around New Zealand. This report puts all regional councils on notice that they need to lift their performance and that government is looking for improved governance in freshwater management.
"I note that the Minister is not making any immediate decisions. That is wise. The Report should be considered by the Land and Water Forum which is examining freshwater management nationally to see if there are any New Zealand wide implications from the findings and recommendations.
"In particular, I think careful thought should be given to whether a national solution rather than an ad hoc Canterbury one might be the best way forward.
"There is the potential, not covered at all in the Report, for the new Environmental Protection Authority to take on some water management functions," Mr Taylor concluded.
ENDS
Environmental Defence Society
EDS speaks for the environment. It has influence.
Since 1971, EDS has been driving environmental protection in Aotearoa New Zealand
through law and policy change. That's why it's one of this country's most influential non-
profit organisations when it comes to achieving better environmental outcomes.
EDS has expertise in key disciplines including law, planning, landscape and science. It
operates as a policy think-tank, a litigation advocate, and a collaborator – bringing together
the private and public sectors for constructive engagement.
EDS runs conferences and seminars on topical issues, including an annual Environmental
Summit and the Climate Change and Business Conference.
EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.
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