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Open dam gates flood the Waitaki River - Source: ONE News -
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A tense meeting has been held in Christchurch as Environment Canterbury councillors tried to convince two government ministers why they shouldn't be fired.
A review of the regional council has suggested sacking the
councillors and setting up a new authority to deal with water,
following concerns over the council's ability to handle the
workload.
But the ministers of local government and the environment say they
have not made their minds up yet.
"What is clear to us is that there is a serious problem with water management in Canterbury and the government is going to have to take a greater interest if we are going to deal with this huge strategic issue," says Nick Smith, Environment Minister.
The council remained upbeat after Wednesday's meeting.
"I made it very clear to them that we've achieved a lot in the last
five to six months and that we would like the opportunity to
continue to do that," says Alec Neil, Environment Canterbury
chair.
The region's mayors went into a separate meeting with the
ministers, voicing their own concerns.
And Environment Canterbury staff have also been briefed.
No date has been set for a final decision on the council's
fate.
