Which councillors are eyeing up the chair at Environment Canterbury?

Wednesday, 23 October 2019

Canterbury's regional council declared a climate emergency - and the Christchurch City Council followed suit.

Recently elected regional councillors have been canvassing who wants the $180,000-a-year job as chair of Environment Canterbury (ECan) for the next three years.

ECan will elect a chairman or woman on Thursday morning at its first fully democratic meeting since the 2007-elected council was sacked in March 2010.

The new crop of councillors have been meeting informally this week, ahead of taking their declarations of office and voting on a chairwoman or man and their deputy.

After ECan's new councillors take their declaration of office, a chairman or woman will be chosen. The job comes with a $180,000 salary.

Several names have been in the mix for the top job, including re-elected councillors Lan Pham and Peter Scott, former Christchurch city councillor turned regional councillor Phil Clearwater and his People's Choice-Labour colleague Jenny Hughey.

**READ MORE:

Returning ECan councillor Lan Pham has been mentioned as a possible chairwoman.

* Re-elected councillors happy with new Environment Canterbury council

* Half the Environment Canterbury council is standing again

New ECan councillor and former Christchurch city councillor Phil Clearwater says he considered standing as chairman but had changed his mind.

* End of an era for Environment Canterbury as former commissioners retire**

ECan councillors get paid a minimum of $63,570 a year, but can earn more if elected as deputy chair, as chair of either the Performance, Audit and Risk Committee or the Regulation Hearing Committee, or if appointed to one of the water zone committees.

Former deputy chairman Cr Peter Scott is among those who are interested in the top job at the council table.

A 'governance pool' set by the Remuneration Authority is available to increase the pay of those with additional roles and responsibilities, but not the salary of the chair.

An ECan spokesman said there was $964,041 in that pool. After paying 13 councillors $63,570 a year, that would leave $137,651 for allocation for that extra work.

A decision on how that was distributed would be made at the November council meeting.

ECan's former deputy chairman, South Canterbury/Ōtuhituhi councillor Peter Scott, told Stuff new councillors had been taking the chance to talk informally this week.

Scott said he was still interested in being chairman.

'We have spent some time getting to know each other this week. People get to talk to each other about what they think and prefer.'

Asked if she might be interested, re-elected North Canterbury/Ōpukepuke councillor, Claire McKay, said she would not comment before Thursday's meeting.

Returning Mid-Canterbury/Ōpakihi councillor John Sunckell said he was 'always interested but the reality is no'.

Clearwater said he had considered putting himself forward.

'But I've listened to other newly elected councillors and I think the person who would provide the best leadership is Jenny Hughey.'

Hughey could not be reached for comment on Wednesday and Pham declined to comment.

Under the regional council's standing orders, the chair does not get a casting vote.

Papers for Thursday's meeting outline the voting process for the new chair.

Councillors need to decide between election by a majority of members or election by the greatest number of votes.

A deputy chairman or woman is then elected once the new chair is in place.