Paula Thompson BOP Regional Councillor www.envbop.govt.nz

I ‘m not sure why the BOP Regional Council decided to change their name from Environment BOP or EBOP as it was commonly called.

That was a decision before my time .Environment BOP, or EBOP, gave the council a brand, which in my view strongly associated it with its primary purpose of achieving integrated management for the Bays natural and physical resources which are Land ,water ,air ,soil, minerals, energy, plants and animals.

There was a time when a focus on the environment was seen as ‘out there.” But, whether some like it or not, communities are moving slowly closer to a real understanding of the vital importance of managing these resources in a sustainable way. And a part of that movement is because of the expectations of the younger generation. For them the world and its issues is only a Google search away.

Recently we had school pupils talk with us about how they saw the Bay of the future. Their expectations are high: an environment that has been protected and valued. I saw the same passionate expectation in the speech to the Rio Summit from our young New Zealander. I wonder if the young BOP ers would agree that the council has done the right thing in changing its name?