Rodney Hide has clearly won the upper hand again today with the complete rogering of Environment Canterbury, the regional council. It is to be replaced in coming weeks by 5-7 commissioners headed by the steely veteran Dame Margaret Bazley.
Whereas the rush-job Creech review – chaired by ex Nat deputy Wyatt – suggested only taking water managment off the councillors, today’s announcement will see an end to any democratic decision-making at ECAN for the next 3 and a half years. All the councillors have been sacked, even the new chair, little known former National backbench MP Alec Neill.
Word was from sources close to Nick Smith that the Government wouldn’t go this far as Rodney had already cost the Government big-time with the similar Auckland rort of democratic decision-making.
Today’s announcement violates that fundamental principle upheld by the Right that there should be no taxation (rates) without representation. It axes a democratically-elected body without any public input for the first time at least in recent history. It forces through this bill under urgency from later this afo with no chance for Cantabrians or anyone else to comment. And while it gives the locally-driven Canterbury Water Management Strategy some status there is no legal requirement to adopt its principles . This takes place in a context where the PM has said he wants new water schemes built next year in Canterbury. Nick Smith confirmed today there is no no accompanying legislation to today’s bill to reinforce requirements to improve water quality and environmental outcomes from that new round of water allocation.
Whatever their views on the performance of ECAN on water, many Cantabrians believe that decisions on our water deserve to be made locally and accountably, not by Cabinet appointees .
Rather limited interpretation. The Council is a product for legislation made by representation.
by for I meant of*
I guess now we might see water diverted to dairy farms stupidly started on drought suseptible land?
Why the 5-7 Commissioners ? isnt that unusual in itself as only one was appointed for the Rodney Council some years back.
Didnt National make an almighty fuss when Hawkes Bay DHB was replaced. Perhaps some quotes from the motor mouth Tony Ryall could be resurrected .
NACT government has just opened up another battle front. They’ll be sorry!
Way to piss off 2 million citizens who largely voted for them in 2008…
Most Cantabs will be pleased this disaster has been replaced, they have had a shocking run and done very little for the environment they are supposed to look after. Time to get our precious resource looked after properly without the petty back stabbing. Remember you guys got rid of Rodney council in 1990 for far less. Brendon you of all people (the only person in parliament who seems to care about us down here) should be supporting this but keeping a very close eye on what happens going forward.
I think even outside of Canterbury, all of New Zealand is aware that there are problems in relation to ECan. But they way the NACT govt has handled this has caused this issue to be couched in the bigger context of “Democracy Under Attack”. The fact of the matter is that democracy has been crushed and stolen in the ECan situation — democratically elected officials are to be replaced by non-elected government appointed commissioners, and elections are abolished until 2013.
If the Auckland Supercity issue is not in existence, it would not be much of an problem. But like it or not, the government now has to contend with the perception that they are robbing voters of their democratic rights and increased opposition that’s spreading nationally.
Brendon, it’s good to see you covering the Southern flank while Phil Tywford covers the Northern flank. Go get them!
Bleep me!
There is a detailed series of comments over at Pundit here
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/turning-ecan-inside-out-creech-governance-review-exposed
and later today.
Certainly the ‘democracy’ aspect of the debate is of concern. On the face of it, rural National Party members in Canterbury want to see the Central Plains decision overturned and the Hurunui scheme proceed, so the government is enabling this.
The rural ‘gerrymander’ is shown in detail over at Pundit. It seems this will wind down over the next few years, so the government sees real urgency in getting these schemes under way pronto. Hence the smiling face of the Irrign NZ chairman on TV1 tonight.
However, this may all backfire on them. The whole of Ecan has been sacked, not just the water allocation functions. Margaret Bazley is no pushover. If genuine technocrats are appointed along with her, and not just National Party hacks, then a full scale rehash of the outfit will result. And quite likely, there will be less water allocated rather than more.
Further along, this is a good time to look seriously at the concept of ‘One Council for Canterbury’ as a commentator at Pundit suggests.
The whole debate is just getting under way.
David I hope it heads in the direction you write of. I am just too distrustful these days.
I am just so annoyed that we weren’t asked. It is election year for local bodies, surely NAT. could have waited a few more months. Interesting question of what will happen to all the ECan projects like the Clean Air project. Will business carry on as usual or everything grind to a halt? Or is it only about the water?
I just find it a worrying trend, the slow erosion of democracy. I wonder if there will be any applications to the commissioners for large stall dairy farms….
David, Rodney district council asked for a review, the people of the area were given a chance for input, the commissioner lasted less than a year. Hardly comparable with ECAN. If you think ECAN has done a poor job with the environment (water quality?), methinks you ain’t seen nothing yet. Dame Margaret is formidable but will be other appointments and Key on record saying he wants new water projects built and working next year in Canty.
The priceless supply of clean artesian water has deteriorated seriously in the last decade in Canterbury, probably because of a huge draw off of irrigation water for dairy farms. Much of this has been un-permitted and unmeasured. The effect of the drop in the water table level is allowing pollution to seep into the water supply. The dairy farming lobby is loud and strong. Without doubt they have been fed up with their inability to get more permission to bleed the water supply dry.
We will see if the short cuts suggested by Key now will let the buggers bleed those wells dry.
Salmon. Trout. Crops. 500,000 Christchurch people’s taps V Cow Money
They’re doing to Auckland and Canterbury what should be left to the Hurricanes. At least then it will be done with a referee (or despite the referee) and by the rules – which makes the process accountable and transparent.
If anything represents unbridled power of government it has been this National-ACT coalition.
That this is not a crime, says it all about our lack of a constitution – because this is the sort of government action that a Supreme Court should declare illegal.
Essentially the water assets of the region are being appropriated by this governments cronies and handed to their mates.
And it is part of this governments succor to and protection of serial water polluters.
It will not have gone unnoticed by the Canterbury rural lobby that Christchurch City has fought ECan on two serious environmental issues – ChCh smog and the sewage outfall.
Hardly ‘Green’ credentials.
ChCh Labour should mull this over.
Is it correct that the CEO asked Labour four years ago for the means to do for water what it did for air pollution? If it is, why did Labour object?
The problems at Ecan are by no means new, the difference is that Labour did nothing to address them during their recent 9 year term in office. National is simply cleaning up the mess that has been apparent ever since Labour created the unnecessary second tier of local governance in 1989. Why does it take 20 years to develop a water strategy?