Cr Bryan Scott served at the Otago Regional Council for two decades until he quit yesterday after a "gutting" last-minute move by the government stopped councillors from voting on a plan to protect the environment.
It had been a privilege to serve as a councillor and resigning was a difficult decision but "it was an issue of integrity".
"The key policy that I stood for at the last ORC election was to achieve a ‘fit for purpose’ land and water plan.
"Clearly this is no longer possible for the foreseeable future due to the recent government decision to block plan notification.
"It appears that government has an agenda to go back to the bad old days of justifying environmental degradation in the name of economics.
"I will take no part in this."
Despite some agreement behind the scenes, the council had slipped into two polarised camps for votes relating to the plan, Cr Scott said.
Compromises had been made at a key battleground in the development of the plan, the Manuherikia River, but it was not enough.
"We’d given them 30 years to transition from mining privileges to consents and then [with the draft plan] we’ve given them another 26 years to actually transition to the minimum flows that we felt were ecologically sound.
"That still wasn’t good enough.
"We were fighting for the river.
"There were other opportunities for the irrigators.
"We believed that we had got to a place that was certainly a very reasonable place, a stepping stone, for a hearings process."
But he watched Parliament TV this week as the government stymied the council’s planning, adding an amendment to the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill that will come into effect, retrospectively, the day before this week’s planned council vote.
He watched as Environment Minister Penny Simmonds failed to answer questions "on any level other than the blanket statement that the process is costing ratepayers ... and that farmers had been given a hard time".
Yet, he did not hold any ill will towards the ministers involved.
"I just think they are misguided.
"And one day they’ll realise that themselves — when they want to go for a swim in a river.
"Ms Simmonds is from Southland, she obviously doesn’t go swimming in the rivers.
"At some point the phone is going to ring and it’s going to be the Fonterras, the Nestles of the world that are going to say we are getting feedback from our clients that we’re only paying lip service to our environment.
"And that our ‘pure green’ marketing strategy from the other side of the world as well as climate change transportation issues is going to hit this government potentially where it hurts.
"And that’s sad for all of us," Cr Scott said.
"I firmly believe that if you invest in the environment, you are ultimately investing in your community, on lots of different levels."
Council chairwoman Cr Gretchen Robertson said she acknowledged Cr Scott’s resignation "with both sadness and respect".
"Over the past 20 years, Bryan has brought an exceptional range of experience and expertise to the Otago Regional Council.
"His skills in engineering, forestry, business, governance, facilitation, planning and environmental stewardship have made a profound impact on our region."
Cr Scott embodied "a deep Southern spirit".
"His unwavering integrity and passion for the environment have been truly commendable," Cr Robertson said.
The council yesterday confirmed with less than a year until the next election Cr Scott’s decision to leave would not trigger a by-election.
