Tremain Chris: Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Tremain Chris: Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 12 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:7773. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon CHRIS TREMAIN (Minister of Local Government) 
: 
 I move  
That the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill be now read a second time 
. This bill continues to help provide the Canterbury region with stable and effective governance. This stability remains an important goal to provide a platform for Canterbury’s future growth and to assist with the earthquake recovery. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: No it doesn’t. It does nothing to assist it. 
Hon CHRIS TREMAIN 
: The Canterbury region is of national significance as the member across the House would understand. It has huge economic growth potential and it is a key driver in making New Zealand a more productive and competitive economy. 
Canterbury’s vast and valuable water resources its significant capacity to support highly productive agriculture its size its history of competing interests for resources and the demands of earthquake recovery continue to set it apart from other regions. The Environment Canterbury regional council’s role in realising the region’s full potential is of critical importance. There is a strong need for a governance arrangement that maintains the council’s current momentum and effectiveness particularly in freshwater management. Effective regional decision-making is particularly important during the critical period of earthquake recovery and major Government investments in water and other infrastructure from 2013 to 2016. 
However it has to be said that in the past the actions of Environment Canterbury have not always achieved the standards required of it. In 2010 the Government was confronted with a serious situation that had arisen with the then Environment Canterbury regional council. The council had lost the confidence of its community including every one of the region’s 10 mayors. An independent review found that the council’s failures required comprehensive and rapid intervention on the part of central government to protect and enhance both regional and national well-being. 
In particular despite almost two decades since the passing of the Resource Management Act there was no operative plan in Canterbury to manage its fresh water and the council was not capable according to that report of delivering one. If you are concerned about the environment then these actions are very important. So in 2010 the Government acted. We passed the original 2010 Act that provided special governance and resource management arrangements to address the situation and appointed seven commissioners for a 3-year term. Since then the commissioners under the leadership of Dame Margaret Bazley have proved highly effective in addressing urgent problems with water management in Canterbury and in rebuilding key stakeholder relationships. 
Dame Margaret is a public servant of the highest calibre who has served successive Governments. She and the commissioners have been very successful in a short space of time. The commissioners have brought a collaborative approach to decision making which I understand has been widely appreciated in the region. In short they have done a great job. 
Some of their significant achievements include the receipt of eight of the 10 zone implementation programmes under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and successful applications to the Government’s Fresh Start for Fresh Water Clean-up Fund for Lake Ellesmere and the Wainono Lagoon. These are important environmental initiatives for that region. They have also included progress towards a land-use recovery plan and a second-generation land and water regional plan. It has also included a massive increase in consent processing time frame compliance to 92 percent in 2010-11 and throughout 2011-12 with a current average of 93 percent compliance. That is an excellent result.  
However their work is as yet unfinished. There are a number of initiatives critical to Canterbury’s environment and economy that are either incomplete or still in progress. The second-generation land and water regional plan and other plans will not be adopted by late 2013 nor will the Canterbury Water Management Strategy be fully implemented. These are core components of freshwater decision-making and management in Canterbury. In particular the Canterbury Water Management Strategy is critical to unlocking the region’s economic potential in an environmentally sustainable manner. This remains the commission’s top priority. 
Another critical factor to consider is the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes. The earthquakes struck subsequent to the original 2010 legislation. This has reinforced the need for a competent and consistent approach to planning for infrastructure from this organisation. In the interests of Canterbury’s progress and to protect the gains the commissioners have made it is vital that we continue with the current governance arrangement for another 3 years. Accordingly the bill provides that commissioner-led governance of Environment Canterbury will continue until the 2016 local authority elections. The bill also retains the 2010 Act’s provisions that provide Environment Canterbury with additional resource management powers and functions. The continuation of the current arrangements will facilitate the region’s economic growth and recovery. 
The commissioners have been able to build strong relationships with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority Christchurch City Council Selwyn District Council and Waimakariri District Council on earthquake response and recovery matters. To displace or to interrupt these relationships at this point in time would significantly impede the region’s progress. 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Local Government and Environment Committee chaired by Nicky Wagner for the committee’s consideration of the bill and in addition thank those other members on the committee. I also acknowledge the genuine concerns expressed by submitters on the bill about the decision not to hold regional council elections in 2013 as was originally planned. This decision was not taken lightly. However for the reasons I have outlined continuing with commissioner-led governance for another 3 years is justified in the circumstances. 
Our intention is to transition the regional governance of Canterbury back to elections by 2016. This is why the bill provides for a review of Environment Canterbury’s governance arrangements. The review is mandatory and must begin on 1 March 2014. It will look at Environment Canterbury’s governance structure membership and resource management powers. 
The bill is about enabling the Canterbury region to prosper and enabling the commissioners to complete their excellent work. The people of Canterbury deserve strong and effective leadership from this organisation. The commissioners have delivered this over the last 3 years and will continue to do so. I thank them for that. This bill will ensure robust effective and stable regional governance for Canterbury and therefore I commend the bill to the House.