Councillors were expected to vote at today’s meeting on notifying their land and water plan, but the government announced yesterday it would block any council from approving new rules before a new national policy statement for freshwater management (NPSFM) was in place.
At today’s meeting in Otago Museum's Hutton Theatre, Cr Elliot Weir put forward a motion asking councillors to express their ‘‘deep concern’’ about the government’s moves, but the motion was lost 7-5.
Councillors who voted in favour of the motion expressed their concern about the government overriding democracy and the cost of delaying a process that had taken five years and cost more than $18 million to get to this stage.
But those who opposed the motion largely did so either because of their concerns about the plan or their desire not to aggravate government further.
The council had had plenty of opportunities to address this, Cr Laws said, but instead it had ‘‘decided the path of confrontation’’.
Cr Laws also questioned why some councillors were so upset about this particular government move, but ‘‘seemed to be OK’’ with the previous government intervening in the council.
‘‘Localism is a nonsense,’’ he said.
Cr Kate Wilson said the council could have taken the community along with them on the journey for the plan.
‘‘There is nothing wrong with building trust.’’
Cr Andrew Noone said now was not the time to ‘‘beat our chests’’ but instead get on with working with the government.
Chairwoman Cr Gretchen Robertson and Cr Lloyd McCall, who had previously voted in favour of the plan, both expressed a desire to move on as best they can.
Ms Robertson wondered aloud whether the council had ‘‘made a mistake’’.
‘‘I don't know; we have had mixed messages on that.’’
Cr McCall paid tribute to the staff, many of whom would have been ‘‘hurting’’ by the government’s announcement.
Some councillors who voted in favour of the motion raised the fact the existing land and water plan was significantly out of date.
Cr Alan Somerville said ‘‘history tells us delay is the enemy of improvement’’ and said the government’s moves ‘‘will bring clarity for nobody".
Cr Alexa Forbes said the government’s moves were a ‘‘horrible overreach’’ and predicted similar interventions in other councils.
She said without notifying the plan, there would be important rivers in the region with ‘‘no legislative protection’’.
Cr Bryan Scott said government endeavoured to reject the council’s plan ‘‘without truly understanding it’’.
‘‘In my view, this is kicking the can down the road.’’
Cr Weir said it was appalling the lengths the government had gone ‘‘to get what they want’’.
‘‘After months of threatening tactics and shaky offers, they have moved an underhanded amendment at the absolute 11th hour to prevent any regional councils from notifying their regional plans, overriding and undermining local democracy in the process.’’
They said the council was stuck with a plan that was publicly notified nearly three years before Cr Weir was even born, and ‘‘everyone agrees is inadequate’’.
MOTION
‘‘The Council notes with deep concern the legislation moved and passed in parliament on October 22 preventing notification of the Land and Water Regional Plan.’’
FOR: Cr Elliott Weir, Cr Alexa Forbes, Cr Tim Mepham, Cr Bryan Scott, and Cr Alan Somerville
AGAINST: Cr Michael Laws, Cr Gary Kelliher, Cr Kate Wilson, Cr Gretchen Robertson, Cr Lloyd McCall, Cr Andrew Noone, Cr Kevin Malcolm
