Letters to Minister Bishop on local government reform
Nelson City Council buildings, New Zealand
The Commissioner has sent letters to Minister Bishop regarding the proposed reform of local government. In his initial letter, the Commissioner expressed his concern that the reform was placing form before function and risked sub-optimal and perverse outcomes. He identified four functions that should not be delivered at a level below that of the region (or at least a catchment). They are:
- catchment management
- biosecurity and biodiversity
- environmental compliance and enforcement
- environmental monitoring and reporting.
The Commissioner’s subsequent letter drew on this initial letter, as well as his submission on the Government’s Simplifying Local Government proposals. The letter again highlighted the risks that could be posed to the management of water in New Zealand should reforms of local government lead to responsibility for river catchments being fragmented.
“Handing the management of catchments to more than one local government entity would represent the biggest step backwards in New Zealand environmental management for more than half a century.”
He advised that whatever new units of local government are settled upon, catchment management must not be fragmented. If the decision is made to approve unitary councils at scales below that of catchments, the Commissioner suggested either taking the function back to central government or re-establishing catchment boards.