Voters re-elect former ECan chair Peter Scott, and fellow incumbent Nick Ward

Saturday, 11 October 2025

Peter Scott, pictured speaking at a meet the candidates event at Phar Lap Raceway organised by Federated Farmers South Canterbury last month. Scott has been re-elected.

Three-term regional councillor Peter Scott is pleased to have been re-elected to represent South Canterbury on Environment Canterbury alongside fellow incumbent Nick Ward.

Scott was one of three choices for South Canterbury voters, running alongside Ward and newcomer Toni Severin for the two seats.

Scott, who spent the election day with his family, said he was happy the election was over when he spoke the The Timaru Herald on Saturday evening.

“It’s been a pretty interesting two years for me and then to get the confirmation that I can get back there [on ECan] is good.’’

Scott said there was a lot of work to be done and “hopefully we can be stable enough that we can get on and do it’’.

Last month, Scott apologised to his constituents during a meet the candidates event in Timaru, telling them he had let them down after he resigned as chairperson of the regional council over a speeding saga.

“I let you down by speeding, I really do apologise for that. I think we would be in a different place if I didn’t let you down,” Scott said, at the time.

One-term regional councillor Nick Ward speaks at the meet the candidates event at Phar Lap Raceway last month. He was the highest polling South Canterbury candidate for the second consecutive election.

It wasn’t the only controversy of Scott’s third term, with claims he made of “operating illegally” on his South Canterbury farm on a radio show leading to an investigation.

Ward was the highest polling of the three with 12,300 votes, putting him well ahead of Scott’s 8403 and Severin’s 6764.

Ward, a one-term councillor, was also the highest polling candidate in 2022 with 10,985 votes, with Scott getting 10,574 to secure the second seat.

On Sunday, he said he was “overwhelmed and humbled’’ by the number of votes he had received.

“I’d like to thank the public of South Canterbury,’’ Ward said.

“I will represent you to the best of my abilities over the next three years.’’

Challenges over the next term would be changes to the Resource Management Act and “how enabling that will be for people’’.

“The other thing is what regional councils and TAs [territorial authorities] will look like going forward.’’

He said resilience for ratepayers around climate and freshwater was important, and there was a “constant balance’’ between the environment and the economy.

Severin, who was running under the Act banner is a former Act MP, and did not live in the South Canterbury area.

The overall turnout when the progress results were released was sitting on 43.8% (19,144 votes).

Toni Severin addresses the crowd at the meet the candidates event organised by Federated Farmers South Canterbury last month.

Voting closed at midday on Saturday, and the progress results were announced just after 4pm. Preliminary results were expected to be released on Sunday afternoon.

A final vote count would not be released until at least Thursday.