10. JO GOODHEW (National—Rangitata) Link to this
to the Minister for the Environment
What response has he received regarding the independent review of the performance of Environment Canterbury?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) Link to this
The report has been well received. All 10 of the Canterbury mayors, who originally sought intervention by the Government, have welcomed the report with a sense of relief that the problems with water management in Canterbury are now openly acknowledged. Secondly, stakeholders from across the environment and development spectrum—including the Environmental Defence Society, the Water Rights Trust, Irrigation New Zealand, as well as Federated Farmers—have concurred with its analysis of institutional failure. I also note that even some Environment Canterbury councillors have agreed with the criticisms and the review, and support change.
Has the Government formed any view on the report; and what process does the Government have in place for addressing the review recommendations?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
The Government endorses the view in the report that Canterbury’s freshwater resources are of huge strategic importance not just to Canterbury but to New Zealand, and that this resource is not being well-managed. The report calls for urgent intervention by the Government, and this is being considered. Tomorrow I and the Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide, will meet with Environment Canterbury, Canterbury mayors, water stakeholders, and Ngāi Tahu to discuss the recommendations. Tomorrow I have also scheduled a meeting here in Wellington with the reviewers, and I have invited all Canterbury MPs to hear first hand why the reviewers came to those conclusions.
When were concerns first raised with the Minister about Environment Canterbury, and what led the Minister to initiate the independent review?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
Concerns about Environment Canterbury were first raised with me by the Ministry for the Environment at my very first briefing as an incoming Minister. The ministry’s concern was that Environment Canterbury did not have the capacity to manage the water quality and allocation issues in the region. Numerous organisations have subsequently raised concerns. A report last year showed that only 29 percent of consents in Canterbury were being processed on time—the worst of New Zealand’s 85 councils, and in September, there was a letter from all 10 Canterbury mayors. All those factors triggered the Government’s decision to initiate a formal review.
Hon Ruth DysonWhat did the Minister discuss with the chairman of Environment Canterbury, the former National MP Alec Neill—who has pre-empted the Minister by publicly stating that it is unlikely there will be elections for Environment Canterbury this year—when he met with Mr Neill, in secret, on the evening of Sunday, 21 February?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
All the mayors of Canterbury met on Sunday night, and Bob Parker, the Mayor of Christchurch, thought that it would be good for me to go down to Christchurch and have an informal discussion with them about the report. The Government is of a view that we need to liaise closely not just with the chairman of Environment Canterbury but with all 10 mayors. The truth is that I have had regular discussions with all those mayors, including the chair of Environment Canterbury. I think people would expect an environment Minister to have discussions with the chair of an authority that has been in some difficulty for many years but was ignored by members opposite—hence the mess we have in water management.