Sage Eugenie: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSage Eugenie: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 19 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2433. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for the Environment: Does he propose to implement the Environment Canterbury model in other regional and unitary councils by replacing nearly half the elected councillors with ministerial appointees?Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Associate Minister of Local Government) on behalf of theMinister for the Environment: No. In 2010 Environment Canterbury was a dysfunctional council that had failed in 19 years to get a regional water plan in place despite being responsible for two-thirds of the land for irrigation in New Zealand. Canterbury had faced some special challenges and the member will be pleased to know that the Minister and the Associate Minister of Local Government have carefully considered a range of options that respond to these issues. These will also provide for Environment Canterbury’s future governance arrangements after October 2016.Eugenie Sage: Given that the Minister said that a fully elected regional council in Canterbury carries too many risks does he propose to implement the Environment Canterbury model in other risky democratic institutions—central government perhaps?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: No. The considerations that are in the proposal for Environment Canterbury consider the important balance of issues like strong leadership sustainable development of economic growth and jobs strong environmental stewardship especially for freshwater management and accountability and value for money for Canterbury ratepayers.Eugenie Sage: Why has the Minister reneged on a promise he made in 2010 to the people of Canterbury that by 2013 “Environment Canterbury will be ready to return to an elected council status.”?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: The proposal that is out for consultation with the public is a sensible step for Environment Canterbury. It is really important that we maintain the progress that the Environment Canterbury commissioners have achieved in the important areas including freshwater management and the very important earthquake recovery. It provides important elected community representation balancing the skills and expertise required but also giving Canterbury a voice.Eugenie Sage: Why have the people of Kaipara been promised a fully elected council this year after 3 years’ governance by commissioners when Cantabrians still do not have—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Quite apart from the length of that question the primary question relates to Environment Canterbury not Kaipara.Eugenie Sage: Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear from Eugenie Sage.Eugenie Sage: The question compares the situation in Kaipara with that in Canterbury. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do not need any assistance. I think strictly the Hon Gerry Brownlee is right but the member then asked in supplementary questions whether the model in Canterbury could be replicated elsewhere. The Minister has answered that. I think in this case I am going to allow the member to re-ask the question. I think the Minister will be quite capable of answering it.Eugenie Sage: Why have the people of Kaipara been promised a fully elected council this year after 3 years’ governance by commissioners when Cantabrians still do not know when a fully democratic council will be returned to them 5 years after National removed it?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I am answering on behalf of the Minister for the Environment who has responsibility jointly with the Associate Minister of Local Government for Environment Canterbury. If you have further questions I suggest you put those to the Minister of Local Government.Eugenie Sage: When the Minister said yesterday that a fully elected regional council carried too many risks did he forget that it was elected councillors who developed the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and that it is elected councillors in Christchurch Selwyn and Waimakariri who are leading earthquake recovery in their communities?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: The issues that led to the Government needing to intervene in Environment Canterbury in 2010 are clearly documented. I do not intend to go over those again. The extension was put in place in 2012 because of the fragile requirements around the Canterbury rebuild. The issues and complexities associated with freshwater management are not a short-term issue for Canterbury and that is why it is important in this balanced model that is proposed and is out for public consultation that a mixed model is suggested.Eugenie Sage: What is the risk for the Minister in committing to a date on which democracy and a fully elected regional council will be restored in Canterbury?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: This proposal which is out for public consultation is a requirement from the 2012 Act for the Environment Canterbury commissioners. The suggested model that is out for public consultation has a mixed model that includes elected representatives from the community in Canterbury but also the very important balance of skills and the expertise to navigate the very complex and long-term issues that the people of Canterbury face.Eugenie Sage: Does not the fact that the Minister will not commit to the restoration of democracy and a fully elected council show that the Government’s hand-picked commissioners have failed to progress the issues they were supposed to in the last 5 years?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I think the fact that Environment Canterbury in its time under the commissioners has achieved significantly—if you look at the one example of the processing of resource consents over 70 percent of them were outside the statutory time frames; that is now down to about 5 percent—shows the high performance that has been brought to the people of Canterbury while the commissioners have been in place. We recognise the importance of the community’s voice and that is why a mixed model is proposed and I welcome the members of the public and their submissions which close on 1 May.Dr Megan Woods: Which specific aspects of democracy does he find too risky?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I think I have answered this quite fully in respect of the challenges that the people of Canterbury face: the fact that we want to move away from the commissioners that we have in place now to give the people of Canterbury a say in their regional council but the importance of actually making sure that these very complex issues are addressed and that the people of Canterbury have confidence in the strong relationships that are currently in place with the mayors across the district across the 10 districts in Canterbury. This is why a mixed model is proposed.Dr Megan Woods: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was very direct—Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the member is going to raise an issue about whether the question has been addressed I invite the member to have a look at the answer. There is no doubt in my mind—[Interruption] Order!