The money collected from the consent-holder charge will be used for scientific work in the zone it was collected from as well as a share of relevant regional work.
The zones are the same as those used for the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (see map).
For each zone there are a number of Environment Canterbury projects – for both scientific investigations and monitoring – which relate specifically to that zone. The work programmes for these projects will be aligned over time with the zone implementation programmes being developed by the zone committees and the Regional Committee as part of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. Progress and findings will be provided at least yearly to the relevant zone committee as well as to consent-holders and the wider community.
On average, 70 per cent of the cost of scientific work programmes, both zone-specific and regional, will continue to be funded by general rates.
The scope of work covered in scientific investigations and monitoring – at both the regional and zone levels – is summarised below:
Scientific investigations work includes:
- Understanding sources and time-lags affecting surface water and groundwater quality.
- Understanding abstraction effects on surface water quantity.
- Understanding abstraction effects on groundwater aquifer resources.
- Improving understanding of the interactions between surface water and groundwater.
- Understanding the effects of riparian planting and restoration on water quality.
- Understanding how different activities affect water quality.
Scientific monitoring work includes:
- Maintaining the existing network of river flow monitoring sites.
- Increase the number of river flow monitoring sites in lowland streams.
- Maintain the existing groundwater monitoring systems.
- Expand the groundwater monitoring systems.
- Monitor groundwater levels, river flows and rainfall at representative sites.
- Monitor groundwater quality at representative sites.
- Extend the water quality network to more urban waterways.
- Monitor recreational water quality.
- Monitor aquatic ecosystem health at representative sites.
- Publish the results of monitoring programmes.
- Monitor the effects of land use on water quality.
Water Science Work Programmes
Water management zones
Larger zone map (jpg 238 kB)
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy has been developed over the past six years (since 2004) to address the issues around fresh water in Canterbury.
These issues include the declining health of both surface water and groundwater, an ongoing loss of cultural value and recreational opportunities, as well as the declining availability and reliability of water for agricultural and energy users.
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy establishes a collaborative framework for sustainably addressing these issues to enable present and future generations to gain the greatest social, economic, recreational and cultural benefits from Canterbury’s freshwater resources.
A key part of the strategy is the establishment of zone committees to develop solutions to local water issues. The zone committees are working collaboratively to develop water management implementation programmes.
More information on the Canterbury Water Management Strategy »