Final meetings for ECan

Environment Canterbury plans two valedictory meetings before the 14 councillors lose their jobs by the end of this month.

The regional council is being replaced by up to seven commissioners, with Dame Margaret Bazley as chairwoman-designate, under special legislation passed by the Government on March 31.

The commissioners will replace the councillors at least until the local body elections in 2013 - this year's election for the Environment Canterbury (ECan) council has been cancelled.

ECan has set down two meetings for its outgoing councillors today and on April 22.

Today, councillors will consider the effect of the Government's decision on its role in general and in the development of its 2010-11 annual plan which sets its budget and rates for the financial year from July 1.

Outgoing councillors will also be given the opportunity to make valedictory speeches if they cannot attend the last meeting on April 22.

The Government decided to sack the ECan council after a damning report by a review team headed by former deputy prime minister Wyatt Creech.

In particular, it was highly critical of ECan's management of Canterbury's freshwater resources, which will be a priority for the commissioners over the next three years.

However, ECan councillors are only part-way through the approval of the council's 2010-11 annual plan, which projects a total rates rise of 4.2%.

Already, it has called for public submissions on the plan, which close at 4pm on April 30.

Under normal circumstances, the council would hear submitters then consider those before making a decision on the final annual plan.

The plan includes funding for starting to implement the Canterbury water management strategy, prepared and approved by the 10 Canterbury district and city councils in conjunction with ECan.

The plan has now been given legal status by the Government, with a direction to commissioners it must be taken into account when considering water management in Canterbury.

The councillors are:Chairman, Alec Neill (Christchurch West constituency); deputy chairwoman, Jo Kane (North Canterbury); Bronwen Murray and Mark Oldfield (South Canterbury, including part Waitaki district); Angus McKay (Rakaia); Prof Bob Kirk and Sir Kerry Burke (Christchurch South); Carole Evans and Jane Demeter (Christchurch North); David Sutherland and Rik Tindall (Christchurch East); Eugenie Sage (Selwyn-Banks Peninsula); Pat Harrow (Christchurch West); Ross Little (North Canterbury).

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