Working group to consider cost recovery for water management charging

Environment Canterbury councillors have endorsed setting up a working group to oversee public consultation on the State of Environment Monitoring Charges for water management. The decision was taken at their meeting on Thursday, July 30.

Environment Canterbury chair Sir Kerry Burke said that the implementation of the proposed cost recovery for water management charging had been deferred for twelve months. This will allow for greater community input and more time for consultation with key stakeholders and consent holders.

“Over half of the submissions made on Environment Canterbury’s draft long term plan related to water management cost recovery. Councillors have not dropped the charging proposal. Rather, it has been deferred for a year. It is important that this message is conveyed to our regional communities,” said Sir Kerry.

The working group will consist of three councillors, Eugenie Sage, Jo Kane and Angus McKay, and eight representatives from consent holders, local authorities, Ngai Tahu and environmental interests.

“Some councillors were concerned that the management zone governance arrangements needed further consultation, hence the need to revisit the proposal.”

“Council has granted the working group broad terms of reference. This involves the group developing and overseeing the consultation process and reporting on the outcomes and recommendations to the Council by the end of January 2010.”

“There will be an independent technical assessment of costing and how that breaks down between cost recovery charges and the general rate, the basis on which consent holders will be charged and what options there are for addressing unusual or rare consents for example, water takes for hydro electricity projects.”

“This will bring more clarity to the work that has already been done and will better inform councillors when we make our Annual Plan decisions in 2010”, said Sir Kerry.