Latest news with #Pauling
Scoop
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Environment Canterbury's Chair Rebuffs Government's Directive To Stop Planning
Councils have been urged "not to stop the planning" despite the government saying plan changes are a waste of ratepayers' money. 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''.
Otago Daily Times
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
ECan chair rebuffs Government's directive to stop planning
Environment Canterbury chairperson Craig Pauling (second left) takes part in a panel discussion during the Local Government NZ conference. Photo: David Hill / North Canterbury News Councils have been urged "not to stop the planning" despite the government saying plan changes are a waste of ratepayers' money. 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. 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''. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
What Does The Future Look Like For Local Government?
Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) came together today to discuss principles for future local government structures in Canterbury. Council Chair Craig Pauling said although recent media commentary relating to 'scrapping regional government' was unhelpful, a conversation was needed and should involve all levels of government, and iwi partners. 'Significant local government and resource management reform has been on Government agendas for some time. As a Council we agree that the current structure and funding for local government needs work.' 'Instead of waiting for the Government to make changes, we've proactively been doing work at our Council to understand how the reforms might impact Canterbury, and what we can do to ensure good outcomes for our natural resources, our communities as well as our economy.' Chair Pauling said the workshop gave Councillors an opportunity to discuss representation, local voice, and what services and regulatory functions could be best delivered at a national, regional or local level. 'We didn't land on a specific structure, or proposed future-state today. Today's workshop gave us the opportunity to discuss the whole ecosystem of local government decision making, and to test some ideas with each other.' Deputy Chair Dr Deon Swiggs said the workshop built on the momentum from the May Council meeting, where Councillors reached shared positions on key issues for the region. 'Canterbury's scale, diverse landscapes, and active economies present both opportunities and responsibilities. We're a region shaped by a unique environment and strong local industries, and require tailored approaches to our place.' 'The work we're doing now reflects our commitment to shaping the future, not waiting for it. By thinking ahead, Canterbury Regional Council is well placed to contribute constructively to national conversations and ensure the needs of our people, environment, and economy are reflected in whatever reforms come next,' said Deputy Swiggs. Following the workshop, Chair Pauling said he was pleased with the good-spirited and open-minded discussion had by Councillors about different options for Canterbury. 'Although we have more work to do, it was clear that there are some different ways to do this and some promising options for the future.' 'This is an important conversation to have openly across the region, and we plan to share our thinking with our partners, the community, TAs and the Government.' The workshop was streamed live on the Canterbury Regional Council YouTube channel.
Otago Daily Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Talk of axing regional councils 'unhelpful'
Environment Canterbury's chairperson says he's open to talking about the future of regional councils, but the current chatter is unhelpful. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Resources Minister Shane Jones have suggested regional councils could be abolished as part of the Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms. Speaking at Wednesday's (June 25) council meeting, Canterbury's regional council (ECan) chairperson Craig Pauling said the recent commentary was unhelpful. ''There has been some discussion over the last week on scrapping regional councils, and I don't think the conversation in the way it is happening is very helpful,'' Mr Pauling said. ''But it is a conversation which needs to happen and we have been doing it. ''We agree the current structure and funding is unsustainable, but it is not simple and it is just about scrapping regional councils and creating unitary authorities. ''As a regional council, our job is to strike a balance between environmental and economic considerations, along side our treaty partners.'' Mr Jones, a New Zealand First MP and Minister for Regional Development, repeated his warnings to Local Democracy Reporting this week that regional councils are on borrowed time. "Regional councils in my view have reached a very low ebb." With the abolition of the Resource Management Act, he said he believed regional councils did not have a future. 'Which is why after the next election there will be local government rationalisation and the very strong stance we're taking is that there is no longer a purpose for regional councils." With the RMA split into two new Acts, people working for Regional Councils would no doubt end up playing some kind of role in a reformed level of regional governance, the Minister said. The Prime Minister has said there were too many layers of government and the question would be considered as part of the RMA reform. There are 11 regional councils throughout New Zealand, which are tasked with managing natural resources such as land and water, supporting biodiversity, providing regional transport and building resilience to natural hazards and the effects of climate change. In some parts of the country these roles are taken on by unitary authorities, which combine the functions of a local and a regional council. Mr Pauling said debate around the role of regional councils is not new. The Canterbury Mayoral Forum, which represents local mayors, has been exploring what the future of local government could look like and ECan has a workshop planned for next month. Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting last month, Mr Pauling said he saw a future for separate district and regional councils. ''There needs to be a partnership between local, regional and central government and we (ECan) are good at bringing people together. ''If you are in Kaikōura, your main focus is Kaikōura, but at a regional level my focus is Canterbury.'' A single regional plan has been signalled as part of the RMA reform. ECan is already working on an integrated regional plan which would bring together seven regional plans, four river plans, the 10 District Plans and the various spatial plans developed by local councils. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has expressed support for establishing a unitary authority. However, North Canterbury mayors Dan Gordon (Waimakariri), Marie Black (Hurunui) and Craig Mackle (Kaikōura) have previously expressed support for Environment Canterbury continuing to have its regionwide functions. It is unclear how public transport and other Greater Christchurch issues would work, if the Christchurch City Council became a unitary authority. The future of local government was the subject of a review led by former Waimakariri District Council chief executive Jim Palmer and presented to Government in 2023. The panel proposed a greater role for regional councils. Local Government New Zealand has also been pushing for changes. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Otago Daily Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
ECan chair undecided as election looms
Craig Pauling. Photo: David Hill / North Canterbury News The chair of Canterbury's regional council is undecided about his future, as the local election looms. Environment Canterbury chairperson Craig Pauling said he is contemplating a tilt at Parliament next year or stepping back from politics. There has been speculation Mr Pauling could run for the Green Party in the Banks Peninsula electorate in next year's general election. But he admits he still has unfinished business around the council table. ''There are things I want to do, so I'm still weighing it all up. ''Becoming an MP is certainly one of the options and I have talked about going to Parliament, but I haven't made my mind up. ''The chair role is an awesome honour. It has been rewarding and it has its challenges too.'' Mr Pauling has served two terms on the council. He was elected chairperson in October, following Peter Scott's resignation the previous month, having served as deputy chair and acting chair. The pair had contested the role in October 2022, with Mr Scott's name being drawn out of a container after an eight-eight split in the vote. Nominations for election candidates open on July 1 and close on August 1, ahead of the October elections, so he doesn't have much time if he wants a seat at the council table. Mr Pauling said if he was to stand for Parliament next year, the selection process would likely begin towards the end of this year. A third option is to step away from politics and go back to his passion for environmental planning and policy making. ''There is always heaps to do, so it is about making the decision which is right for me and my family.'' Mr Pauling is of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga and European descent. He has whakapapa to Taumutu, Rāpaki and Ngāi Tūāhuriri. ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
