Chauvel Charles: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chauvel Charles: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:669;Page:15649] 
8. 
CHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for the Environment 
: What measures if any have been put in place by which to assess the performance of the commissioners appointed to replace the elected Canterbury Regional Council? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 Key measures for the Government are improved water and resource management in Canterbury. Despite it being 19 years since the Resource Management Act was passed and over half the allocated hydro and irrigation water in New Zealand being in Canterbury the previous elected council failed to provide an operative water plan. Good progress has been made with the commissioners notifying the decision on the natural resources plan in October. I also note that in 2008 Environment Canterbury had the worst record for resource consent processing of 84 councils with only 29 percent complying with statutory time frames. I note that in the first quarter of this financial year that percentage improved to 95 percent. A further key measure in respect of water quality is compliance with resource consents. These have improved from 43 percent in 2009 to 59 percent in 2010. I also note the huge progress that the commissioners have made in putting in place the Canterbury Water Management Strategy with five zone committees having been set up. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Does he agree with the decision of his Government-appointed commissioners to sack the seven staff involved in the Clean Heat project which has improved Christchurch’s air quality and assisted almost 19000 homeowners to install cleaner heating and to insulate their homes; if so how will their sacking and the delaying of air quality standards keep pressure on councils such as Environment Canterbury to quote the Minister’s own words to “improve air quality at the fastest practical rate to minimise harm and to protect the public health” of communities? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The question the member has raised really highlights the difference between the Government and the Opposition and it is this. What will make a difference to air quality is installing more Clean Heat systems and the interesting thing is that over five times as many new Clean Heat systems have been put in place under this Government in 2 years than were put in place under the previous Labour Government in 9 years. It is Clean Heat devices not bureaucrats that will clean up the air in Christchurch. 
Colin King 
: Has the Minister received any further advice from the commissioners and the Hurunui-Waiau zone committee on the additional steps necessary to ensure an orderly and sustainable development of water resources in North Canterbury? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Yesterday I received a formal application from the commissioners to extend the moratorium on the Hurunui River to include the adjacent Waiau catchment. Today after consultation with Cabinet and caucus I have approved this proposal. I note that such a moratorium in Canterbury is possible only because of the special Environment Canterbury legislation that was passed by this Government and that is enabling a far more orderly approach to irrigation development in Canterbury. This moratorium will stop a “first in first served” rush for the considerable water that is available from the Waiau and will enable the Hurunui-Waiau zone committee which was set up under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy to develop a sensible and balanced water plan for North Canterbury. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Is the Minister satisfied with the operation of Environment Canterbury in relation to the statement on the front page of the  
Press 
 that the sting operation that saw 28 buses immediately ordered off Christchurch roads last week was prompted by letters to the editor and “If it wasn’t for the letters to the editor this would not have come to our attention.” in light of the fact that Environment Canterbury had been receiving complaints from the public ever since the new tenders were let? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The Government does have concerns about the recent performance of public bus services in Canterbury particularly in respect of Christchurch Bus Services. I would note that the decisions over those contracts were made by the previous elected council not by the commissioners. I think the commissioners have played quite an important role in that they have enabled Go Bus in Hamilton to buy out Christchurch Bus Services and I am hopeful that we will see an improvement in the quality of service as a consequence of that change. The issue of who manages bus service contracts in Canterbury was highlighted in the investigation led by Wyatt Creech. It is the Government’s intention with Environment Canterbury’s commissioners to have a wider review of what is the best way in which we can sensibly manage ongoing bus service contracts in Canterbury. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That answer was interesting but it was not an answer to the question I asked. The question I asked was who was being held accountable for the fact that the police did the investigation or the sting operation as a result of letters to the editor— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I must confess I find it difficult to understand exactly the member’s question because what she just told the House now does not seem totally consistent with what she asked. She did mention a sting in her original question but I do not remember her mentioning a police investigation but I might be wrong. What I will do is allow her to repeat her question but if it contains politics I will not ask the Minister to answer any further. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Is he aware that the police said that the sting operation that saw 28 buses immediately ordered off Christchurch roads last week was prompted by letters to the editor—and the quote on the front page of the paper was: “If it wasn’t for the letters to the editor this would not have come to our attention.”—in light of the fact that Environment Canterbury had been receiving complaints from the public ever since the new tenders were let? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I think it is a very important principle in this country that decisions to prosecute are made by the police without influence from elected representatives. The member or others may have concerns about the enforcement by the police but I actually commend the police for their operation in respect of the buses and I am surprised that members opposite would be asking for either Environment Canterbury or Ministers to be interfering in the independent prosecution decisions of the New Zealand Police. 
Brendon Burns 
: Has the Minister now seen the comments of the Prime Minister John Key in February that he wants to see new water schemes in place in Canterbury next year; and given that he as Minister cannot get new environmental controls in place within that time frame does that political agenda not leave the Environment Canterbury commissioners up an increasingly dirty creek without a paddle? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I would point out firstly that under the commissioners’ compliance with resource consents has substantially improved—substantially improved—and I thought that members opposite would welcome that. I also note that under the previous Government only 29 percent of resource consents were being processed on time and that figure is now 95 percent—95 percent—and I thought that would be welcomed by members of this House. 
Brendon Burns 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With respect my question was about what— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I listened very carefully this time and the member talked about someone being up a dirty creek without a paddle. If he injects that kind of language into a question the Minister is pretty much at liberty to answer however he sees fit.