Landowners who exceed expectations for compliance could be rewarded, he said, by being allowed to monitor themselves - with random checks. The money saved on compliance could be put into improving environmental outcomes.
He favours "stringent financial control" and a business approach. Horizons rate rises for Ruapehu landowners have been 2.8 per cent, 1.8 per cent and 1.1 per cent while he's been councillor. This year they are half what was proposed in the council's long-term plan.
The contentious One Plan has been a "bruising exercise", Mr Rollinson said, but relationships with landowners are improving. Staff have been told to "put themselves in the farmers' gumboots".
They have been giving consents for scrub clearing and tracks up hills on one site visit, with no fees.
His other worry about the One Plan is that people will say it's not working to improve water quality, without waiting long enough for it to bed in.
"Staff are working very hard at those priority issues," he said.
