Otago regional councillors will be involved in the council’s response to at least 15 fast-track projects in the region after a narrow vote.
A bid to remove councillors from the Otago Regional Council working party lost 6-5.
Instead, at last week’s full council meeting Cr Michael Laws nominated chairwoman Cr Gretchen Robertson and past-chairman Cr Andrew Noone to take up the roles.
Cr Laws said the fast-track projects were "possibly the biggest, most disruptive projects that are going to happen in Otago in the next couple of years".
"And they are going to have massive effects upon the communities that they are going to be in.
"From massive housing developments, thanks to our Lakes District Council areas, to mining ... and I’d like to think that the representatives of the community will at least have some role, if only to ask the right question at the right time."
Cr Gary Kelliher said not only were the listed projects "some of the biggest" ahead for the region, there was a very short timeframe for the council to be involved.
"It is a procedural process, but it’ll be the only foot forward into this process that we get.
"The community has really no community representative to come back and talk to if they are concerned about the direction the council has chosen to take.
"I don’t think it’s about influencing the outcome, it’s about having a community understanding."
Councillors were told the role the council would play in the new process would be limited.
ORC consents manager Alexandra King said the new Fast-track Approvals Act, which became law in December, was one of the government’s "keynote" legislative changes of last year.
Fast-track projects could either be listed, or referred by the minister for infrastructure, she said.
The 15 listed projects in the Otago region included nine housing development projects, three renewable energy projects, one aquaculture and two mining projects, Ms King said.
Applicants will write an assessment of environmental effects and a policy assessment against relevant plans.
Most of the work on the application was undertaken by the applicant, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the Ministry for the Environment and the expert panel, she said.
"So there is limited opportunity for council to be involved, really specific, short timeframes, and also really limited public participation," she said.
Chief executive Richard Saunders said the council’s feedback would be limited to how a project related to the council’s regulatory framework or the national one.
"It’s not political feedback."
Cr Alexa Forbes led the bid to remove councillors from the working group.
She said including councillors in the process was "only going to complicate things".
"If we were going to have governance there, I think it needs to be all of us, which is going to be very tricky — and I don’t see what we can add anyway," she said.
Voting with Cr Forbes were Crs Lloyd McCall, Alan Somerville, Elliot Weir and Kate Wilson.
Voting against were Crs Kelliher, Laws, Kevin Malcolm, Tim Mepham, Noone and Robertson.
Cr Laws made his nominations, which were accepted, after councillors voted to add two elected members to the working party.
Otago’s 15 fast-track listed projects
Cardrona Valley ski gondola and ski area development
Housing and land development
Coronet Village
Housing and land development
Kaihiku Wind Farm
Renewable energy
Bendigo-Ophir gold project
Mining and quarrying
Mt Iron Junction housing scheme
Housing and land development
Remarkables ski area upgrade and Doolans expansion
Housing and land development
Macraes phase four
Mining and quarrying
Homestead Bay
Housing and land development
Project East
Aquaculture and farming
Summerset Retirement Village — Mosgiel
Housing and land development
Mahinerangi wind farm
Renewable energy
The Hills resort development
Housing and land development
Flint’s Park urban intensification
Housing and land development
Silver Creek
Housing and land development
Gibbston Village
Housing and land development
