Jenny Shipley touted for ECan

Three people are being touted as possible commissioners to replace Environment Canterbury's (ECan) councillors.

Former National prime minister Dame Jenny Shipley is considered a top contender.

Sources say others under consideration are professional director Murray Strong, Hurunui Mayor Garry Jackson and an unnamed Maori representative.

Environment Minister Nick Smith has outlined to Canterbury district and city councils four options being worked on by his officials to sort out ECan's problems.

The Press understands Smith's option three is the most favoured.

It would see the 14 councillors sacked and replaced by commissioners.

Under that option, the commissioners would work to change the organisation's culture and prepare for the establishment of a regional water management authority and perhaps a unitary council within the next 10 to 20 years.

Option four is for all the recommendations in the report by former National deputy prime minister Wyatt Creech to be implemented now, with councillors replaced by commissioners, and a water authority established soon.

Christchurch Central Labour MP Brendon Burns said his sources understood Shipley was at "the top of the list".

"But it might be that they've just put the name out there to test the waters," he said.

He understood the Cabinet would discuss the ECan response on Monday and announce its decision soon after.

Strong has experience at sorting out institutions in trouble.

In December 2006, he was appointed a Crown commissioner by former Labour tertiary education minister Michael Cullen to run the New Plymouth-based Western Institute of Technology.

He replaced the polytechnic's council, which was stood down after government loans failed to pull the institution out of debt.

Cullen said then that Strong had much governance and senior management experience in the commercial and tertiary education sectors.

In a blog, Green Party MP Sue Kedgley said appointing Shipley would be "a blatant power grab".

"Replacing elected councillors with a Government appointee would undermine the whole principle of local democracy, and Cantabrians should be careful or they will find themselves without local representation on issues they care passionately about," she said.

ECan yesterday released its response to the Creech report.

Chief executive Bryan Jenkins said the response reiterated that the council had recognised the need for change in relation to water management.

The high level of territorial authorities' non-compliance was "a continual source of friction". Even if there was a commissioner at the helm, this non-compliance would still need to be addressed.

"We do not see much recognition from territorial authorities that their level of resource consent non-compliance is a serious issue that needs addressing," Jenkins said.

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