'We've lost control': Farmers push for new breakaway Canterbury council

David Douglas' Dome Hills farm in the Kakanui Mountains (pictured) is split by the Otago and Canterbury regional council boundary (file photo). Photo:

North Otago farmer David Douglas says he is fed up with too many layers of governance.

He is leading a group campaigning for the southern councils, from Waitaki to Selwyn, to break away from regional council Environment Canterbury and amalgamate into some form of unitary council.

"We have lost control," he said.

"These areas we are talking about have so much in common and we think it would work well with the proper governance."

Douglas' Dome Hills farm in the Kakanui Mountains is split by the Otago and Canterbury regional council boundary. As part of the Waitaki District Council, he answers to three different authorities on the same property.

Douglas is visiting all the councils from Waitaki up to Selwyn to pitch the idea of a new breakaway organisation, which would be a combination of a territorial and regional council, fronting the Ashburton District Council last week.

Photo: JONATHAN LEASK / LDR

Joining Douglas was Andrew Simpson, a high-country farmer at Balmoral Station and a property developer in the Mackenzie District.

He said three layers of government control - local, regional and central - was one too many.

Andrew Simpson owns Balmoral Station, on the shores of Lake Tekapo. (file photo) Photo: RNZ/Maja Burry.

"We need to get rid of that extra tier of governance that is complicating good decision-making."

Douglas and Simpson said amalgamation would push back against the growing urban influence on rural-based issues, consent costs and processes.

The pair also said regional councils were too political and overstaffed.

Sheep on Andrew Simpson's Balmoral Station. (file photo) Photo: RNZ Insight / Maja Burry

Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown asked if they thought it was best for the six councils to become "one super council" or to create a South Canterbury regional council to cover those areas.

Despite using the term unitary council, there are several models to consider, and the councils needed to workshop what that could look like, Douglas said.

Whatever form it takes, the biggest question was how the representation would work, Douglas said.

"The mayors are telling me the present model is unsustainable.''

He said there was a unique opportunity for the districts to come together "to control our destiny in our region".

The sales pitch intrigued Ashburton's council, but the members did not indicate whether it supported the idea.

Brown said he would raise it at the next Canterbury Mayoral forum later this month, by which time Douglas would have completed visits to all six councils.

The presentation in Ashburton came hot on the heels of Environment Canterbury's Mid Canterbury councillor Ian Mackenzie suggesting the proposed shake-up of the representative borders could be the catalyst for such a breakaway.

An Environment Canterbury spokesman said the regional council is aware of the discussions, "but it would be a matter for Central Government to decide".

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.