Environment Canterbury (ECan) is to be formally reviewed for poor performance, Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide announced today.

ECan, the area’s regional council, will be investigated under the Resource Management Act.

The formal investigation was sparked by “poor performance” which was seen as holding the Canterbury region back.

The Government was not satisfied with ECan’s processing of resource consents, developing a framework for managing natural resources or its relationships with other local authorities.

ECan’s chairman Sir Kerry Burke was ousted in September when councillors voted him out in a no-confidence motion.

Those who voted him out said they believed there was little confidence in Sir Kerry’s leadership, both locally and nationally.

Sir Kerry was a minister in the 1984-87 Labour government and Parliament’s speaker from 1987-90.

The Far North District Council’s processing of resource consents will also be reviewed.

The council processed 37 percent of consents within the statutory timeframe in 2007/08.

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