Peter Scott has resigned as Environment Canterbury chairperson after facing mounting pressure over his behaviour.
Councillor Scott’s resignation will take effect on Friday [September 27], with deputy chairperson Craig Pauling to step in as acting chair until the October 23 council meeting.
‘‘By stepping down as chair, I expect the focus to shift from me to the work we need to do to deliver for the environment and the people of Waitaha.’’
Last week, he was in the news after it was revealed he had been clocked speeding 678 times since January by his council car’s GPS tracking system.
It included one instance of driving at 157kph.
He will be staying on as a councillor for South Canterbury/Ōtuhituhi.
‘‘I acknowledge I’ve made mistakes from a personal perspective, and these are for me to learn from.
‘‘Following recent publicity about my personal behaviour, it has become increasingly apparent that the focus on me is a distraction from the work of the Canterbury Regional Council,’’ Cr Scott said.
‘‘Although this publicity has not been directly related to my work as chairman, I recognise the damage it is doing to this organisation.
‘‘I’m proud to have led the council through some important and challenging work since the October 2022 elections.
‘‘I make no secret of my ambitions for the region and as chair I have advocated strongly on Canterbury’s behalf – something I will continue to do.’’
Cr Scott stepped aside from his role as chairperson in May following publicity about comments he made in the media about his farming activity.
During a radio interview with Newstalk ZB, he said two of his own consent applications for irrigation had been delayed by another government agency.
It meant he was operating ‘‘illegally’’, he said at the time.
Following a council investigation, Cr Scott was cleared to return to his role as chairperson in July.
Last week, he was in the news again, after it was revealed he had been clocked speeding 678 times since January by his council car’s GPS tracking system.
It included one instance of driving at 157kph.
He will be staying on as a councillor for South Canterbury/Ōtuhituhi.
‘‘I acknowledge I’ve made mistakes from a personal perspective, and these are for me to learn from.
‘‘By stepping down as chair, I expect the focus to shift from me to the work we need to do to deliver for the environment and the people of Waitaha.’’
By David Hill
