Committee meetings tackle regional planning, biodiversity and council services
Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) councillors met for two committee meetings on Wednesday 7 October 2026, making decisions on regional planning, biodiversity and the future delivery of council services, while also endorsing the organisation’s draft Annual Report for 2025/26.
Strategy and Policy Committee
The meeting’s key decision was to continue work examining how regional council services could be delivered in the future. The analysis will look at services ranging from environmental regulation and biosecurity to public transport and flood protection and help inform future conversations about local government reform in Canterbury.
Councillors also received the first annual Waitaha Canterbury Biodiversity Strategy progress report. Ongoing priorities include:
- establishing a regional biodiversity forum
- exploring new funding and incentive opportunities
- and continuing work with mana whenua, councils and community partners.
The committee approved feedback on the Government's proposed planning framework and were presented with an update on central government legislation and upcoming opportunities for consultation, including proposed rates-capping legislation.
Watch the Strategy and Policy Committee meeting recording
Audit and Risk Committee
The Audit and Risk Committee endorsed Environment Canterbury’s draft Annual Report for 2025/26. The report now goes to Council for adoption later this month.
The draft report shows the organisation achieved 33 of its 36 service measures during the year, including significant improvements in consent processing, securing Government co-funding for $21.5 million of flood resilience projects, and becoming the first region in New Zealand to roll out the Motu Move national public transport ticketing system.
The organisation recorded a $14 million surplus, compared with a budgeted deficit of $4 million. The result was largely driven by lower expenditure in some areas, including public transport projects and planning work affected by legislative changes.
Watch the Audit and Risk Committee meeting recording