Nine Otago Regional Council (ORC) councillors have requested an extraordinary meeting to remove the council’s chair, the Hon Marian Hobbs.

ORC chief executive Sarah Gardner received a letter from the councillors yesterday (Monday June 15), seeking a meeting to remove Marian from office.

The letter, signed by Michael Laws, Gary Kelliher (both of the Dunstan constituency), Hilary Calvert, Kevin Malcolm, Andrew Noone, Gretchen Robertson, Michael Deaker, Carmen Hope, and Kate Wilson, said they “wish to formally request a special meeting of council for the purpose of removing from the office of chair, the Hon Marian Hobbs”.

Councillors Alexa Forbes (Dunstan constituency) and Bryan Scott did not sign the letter.

The letter goes on to say if the chair is removed from office at the meeting, the councillors intend to elect a new chair at the meeting.

Michael Laws is currently deputy chairperson.

Last year environment minister David Parker demanded the regional council overhaul its planning framework, after professor Peter Skelton reported the council had underinvested in science, planning and hydrological modelling.

Peter said there had been a lack of clear and robust minimum flow regimes, a failure to address over-allocation of water takes and, despite having had a 30-year transition period, the council would not be able to meet the 2021 deadline for renewing Otago’s 100-year-old mining water permits.

The Otago Daily Times reported yesterday the matter came to a head after it was revealed Marian asked David Parker if he might bring in a commissioner if she lost a key vote.

Marian is a former Labour Party member of parliament and cabinet minister, and the current chair of Heritage New Zealand. She took over as ORC chair after the last local body elections in 2019.

An extraordinary meeting will be held on Wednesday July 8, following the procedure outlined in the Local Government Act 2002.

PHOTO: Supplied