Environment Canterbury's Chair Rebuffs Government's Directive To Stop Planning
Environment Canterbury (ECan) chairperson Craig Pauling said the work of local government still needs to continue.
''At ECan we've already been impacted by stops to planning and I am personally disappointed some good things in our Regional Policy Statement, which would have made a difference, can't happen.''
The policy statements provide an overview of resource management issues in a region.
Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform Minister Chris Bishop this week announced the government would halt changes to district and regional plans.
It comes ahead of a shake-up of the RMA, which is expected to come into effect in 2027.
Pauling made his comments during a panel discussion at the Local Government NZ conference on Thursday, July 17.
''I would encourage you not to stop the planning. Don't stop thinking. You've got to do the analysis.
''Keep the thinking going, so when things do land you are in the best position.''
ECan voted in November to put its RPS on hold until January 2026, while it awaits more certainty with RMA reform.
It has been unable to adopt a plan change to fix issues in the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan, following a Supreme Court decision on a water bottling plant in Christchurch in 2023.
The future makeup of councils
There has been speculation the RMA reform could lead to regional councils being scrapped, but both Bishop and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said no decision had been made.
Bishop, who met with regional council chairs during the conference, indicated an announcement was likely by the end of the year.
Pauling said it made sense to consider the shape of local government alongside the RMA reform, as regional councils came into being in 1989, in anticipation of the RMA, which was enacted in 1991.
He admitted there were flaws with the present model, as local and regional councils didn't always work together.
''My personal view is separating land-use between city and regional councils was wrong. We've had so many occasions when land-use has been consented non-notified and then it needs water table allocations (from the regional council).''
LGNZ passed a remit at its annual general meeting calling for a review of local government functions and governance arrangements.
Its chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene said local government needed to be proactive and lead the changes required.
Under existing legislation there are only two alternatives for regional government - regional councils and unitary authorities.
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting, Pauling said more options were needed, as different regions had different challenges.
Canterbury is much larger than other regions, has more braided rivers and catchments, a centrally located population and sparsely populated districts such as Kaikōura, Hurunui, Mackenzie and Waimate.
''We need to be having the conversation and asking the questions. Would Kaikōura and Waimate survive as unitary authorities?''
Splitting the region into three - North, Mid and South Canterbury has been mooted - but Pauling thinks it would be ''problematic''.
South Canterbury would likely be the largest unitary authority in the country in terms of geography, but with a population of only 60,000.
The Hurunui district alone is the same size as Taranaki and half the size of Auckland, but with a much smaller population.
A Christchurch or Greater Christchurch unitary authority has also been mooted, but questions have been raised about whether the rest of Canterbury would have a sufficient ratepayer base to manage regional council functions.
Pauling said he believed it would be ''unworkable''.
Another option, which ECan councillors considered at a recent workshop, was a Canterbury or South Island Assembly.
This was based on the Greater Manchester model, where the existing local councils could continue and the mayors or council representatives and Mana Whenua representatives could form an assembly to make regional decisions.
Whatever is decided, Pauling said local communities need to be involved in the decision making ''or it wouldn't fly''.
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