Failure by the Otago Regional Council to work with affected groups on its proposed water quality changes means those organisations need to start talking to each other, Fish and Game councillor Ray Grubb says.
As the regional council continued to ignore Fish and Game's invitations to speak on a range of issues, Mr Grubb told last week's meeting it was important affected parties were talking behind the scenes.
The collaborative approach was working well for the Land and Water Forum, and Environment Canterbury was going out of its way to talk with affected parties, he said.
"If the regional council's not going to facilitate it, we should."
He believed Fish and Game should take up Federated Farmers Otago past-president Michael Lord's suggestion, made in the Otago Daily Times, that those involved needed to change how they worked together to understand and support each other.
Fish and Game chief executive Niall Watson said staff had recently met Federated Farmers to talk about water quality and wetlands, but it would be good to meet at a political level.
The council appointed chairman Monty Wright, Mr Grubb and councillor Adrian McIntyre to follow through with that liaison.
Fish and Game had submitted in favour of the regional council's 6A rural water quality plan changes, believing its limits for run-off were "excellent" but was wary of the seven-year lead-in time the council had allowed before farmers would have to comply.
"It could be 10 to 13 years before all catchments are actually subject to compliance," environmental officer Peter Wilson said.
Fish and Game was most concerned about resourcing of the changes, as the council had not budgeted for any increase in staff, he said.
"The standards are the most stringent in the country but the question is can they implement them?"
Mr Wright said while those views might be contrary to those of Federated Farmers, Fish and Game was willing to listen to their point of view.
"On the whole, our principle is to work with people and a lot of things we are singing from the same sheet but there will always be some conflict. It just needs some give and take."
He was unsure how or why Fish and Game's relationship with the regional council had deteriorated, as up until six months ago the two organisations met regularly and had a good working relationship.
Otago Regional Council chairman Stephen Woodhead could not be contacted for comment.
