Pair balk at letter's content

Efforts to appease the Government have annoyed two Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillors, even though they signed a submission on the regional council's future.

Save Our Water Christchurch East representatives David Sutherland and Rik Tindall believe the covering letter of ECan's submission to Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide and the accompanying media release do not reflect the content of the document they signed.

The two councillors say the "speedy appointment" of ECan's suggested "commissioner/adviser" is necessary, but they do not want a commissioner to be specifically in charge of Canterbury's water.

"What few councillors agree to is a ... mission to Wellington to cede important statutory responsibilities for no good reason to a conflicted agent of the dairy industry in the form of an agreed or imposed water commissioner," Tindall said.

"We would rather sacrifice our positions on council than accept increased risk to groundwater quality in Canterbury."

Neither Tindall nor Sutherland said they would be prepared to resign over the issue.

Sutherland said constituents had told them not to support handing over statutory water-management powers.

"I totally agree with the consensus reached by the council, but nowhere in that consensus did it agree to ceding the management or development and use of the natural and physical resources of Canterbury."

Tindall said ECan chairman Alec Neill had "gone beyond his brief" in the covering letter and the media release by requesting that the commissioner would assume ECan's statutory powers.

Crs Mark Oldfield and Eugenie Sage opted not to sign the submission to Smith and Hide.

Neill said the media release had been sent to all councillors for input and approval.

- © Fairfax NZ News