New ECAN chief needs to bring new thinking

Federated Farmers welcomes the announcement of Bill Bayfield as the new Chief Executive Officer of Environment Canterbury (ECAN) and hopes he will bring an even handed approach to the water issues plaguing the region.

“Bill Bayfield has a huge job ahead of him. Restoring the region following the earthquakes is not easy task, on top of the existing issues that have plagued the region,” says Dr William Rolleston, Federated Farmers South Canterbury president.

“It has been good to see ECAN’s commissioners, mostly drawn from the private sector, apply some ‘outside the box’ thinking to local government in the region.

“We hope Mr Bayfield continues in that vein, because Canterbury now more than ever needs strong leadership. We need the region up and running at full speed as soon as possible.

“We also wish former CEO Dr Bryan Jenkins the best of luck in his new endeavours.

“This is a great opportunity for ECAN to turn over a new leaf. I look forward to working with Mr Bayfield and hopefully he can work productively with farmers and urban dwellers alike to address Canterbury’s myriad problems,” Dr Rolleston concluded.