Environmental Limits

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Environmental Limits

Find out Canterbury Water targets for environmental limits.

	From 2010	By 2015	By 2020	By 2040
GENERAL	Regional plans must give effect to the RPS. Both regional and local councils will be asked to approve implementation programmes before they are finalised. This will reduce potential for development of options that conflict with council policy. Regional and zone committees can recommend changes to regional or district plans for consideration by councils.
ENVIRONMENT FLOWS AND WATER LEVELS		Set environmental flows for surface streams, rivers and groundwater consistent with the fundamental principles of the Strategy, so that: Flows are consistent with ecosystem health and biodiversity targets. For all braided rivers include flood peaks, flow variability, flood regularity, and channel forming flows to maintain their braided character and ecosystems. Flows afford protection to instream values identified in Ngai Tahu policies. Flows are consistent with the recreational uses of the water body. All the target areas of the Strategy are considered. Establish and begin to implement a programme to apply environmental flows to existing consents.	Review of environmental flows and catchment load limits in response to changing monitoring information, new understanding and technologies, and if requested by regional and zone committees.	Review of environmental flow and catchment load limits in response to changing monitoring information, new understanding and technologies, and if requested by regional and zone committees.
CATCHMENT LOAD LIMITS OR WATER QUALITY OUTCOMES		Set catchment load limits for nutrients for each water management zone consistent with the fundamental principles of the Strategy, so that: Limits are consistent with ecosystem health, drinking water and biodiversity targets. Limits afford protection to instream values identified in Ngai Tahu policies. Limits are consistent with the recreational uses of the water body; and consider all the target areas of the Strategy.	Establish and begin to implement a programme to review existing consents where such reviews are necessary in order to achieve catchment load limits.	Environmental flow and catchment load limits are achieved in all waterbodies.