ECan bill

Environment Canterbury councillor Peter Scott is correct when he wrote (Letters to the editor, November 20) that the Government’s Three Waters restructure programme is not a regional council initiative.

However, I take issue with his claim that ECan operates in a fully open and transparent manner. Their decision to promote the Canterbury Regional Council Representation (Ngā i Tahu) Bill in May was made entirely without public consultation, as required by their own significance and engagement policy.

Several letters to the council asking for a referendum were considered and declined in a closed workshop. Open and transparent? Not quite. Tom O’Connor St Andrews