Parker gives ORC big tick

THE Otago Regional Council is celebrating a glowing report card from Environment Minister David Parker.

The council recently sent Mr Parker its sixth progress report after a 2019 investigation, commissioned by the minister, identified shortcomings at the council, including that its freshwater planning framework was not ‘‘fitforpurpose’’.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, chairman Andrew Noone said he was pleased Mr Parker had commended the council’s progress as it worked through numerous plan and policy changes, and had acknowledged the tight timeframes given the Environment Court challenges along the way.

A significant amount of work had been done by council staff, iwi and the community, Cr Noone said.

‘‘The policy framework is extremely important as it provides greater emphasis on improving environmental outcomes over time,’’ Cr Noone said.

A key date for the council remains December 31 next year, by when the council must notify its land and water plan for the region.

Cr Noone and council interim chief executive Pim Borren said in the statement that ‘‘at this point’’ they remained confident of meeting the deadlines for delivering a new regional policy statement (by September 30) and notifying the new land and water plan (by the end of 2023).

Cr Noone said a second round of community consultation was due to begin for the new plan next month.

In his letter dated September 1, and addressed to Dr Borren, Mr Parker also commended the council on the completion of a series of plan changes to its present plan — plan changes 1, 7 and 8.

The biggest critic of Mr Parker’s ongoing scrutiny of the council, Cr Hilary Calvert, yesterday said she thought it was great that the interim chief executive, council staff and the councillors had all ‘‘managed to work together in the last six months to turn this ship around’’.

‘‘I think that what the letter from the minister amounts to is what I would call an ‘A+’ report card.

‘‘He commends us on all the things we were doing and is very pleased with us.

‘‘I also feel vindicated personally with my opinion that we had been doing what the minister asked of us, since he has now confirmed it wholeheartedly.

‘‘If there was ever a time for me to say ‘I told you so’, this might be it.’’