The Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) has been developed over the past eight years to address the issues around 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 CWMS 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 water resources.

Overall leadership of the CWMS lies with the Canterbury Mayoral Forum.

The Mayoral Forum

The Mayoral Forum is made up of the mayors, supported by the chief executives, of all Canterbury councils. The Forum’s role in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy is to represent the full Canterbury region as steward of the strategy.

Under its Charter the Canterbury Mayoral Forum can co-opt others to work on specific projects. The Canterbury Water Management Strategy Steering Group is an example of this.

Here is a current list of the members of the Forum:

• Mayor Angus McKay- Ashburton District Council
• Brian Lester - Ashburton District Council
• Mayor Bob Parker - (Chair) Christchurch City Council
• Tony Marryatt - Christchurch City Council
• Dame Margaret Bazley - Environment Canterbury
• Bill Bayfield- Environment Canterbury
• Mayor Winton Dalley - Hurunui District Council
• Andrew Dalziel - Hurunui District Council
• Mayor Winston Gray - Kaikoura District Council
• Stuart Grant - Kaikoura District Council
• Mayor Claire Barlow - Mackenzie District Council
• Glen Innes - Mackenzie District Council
• Mayor Kelvin Coe - Selwyn District Council
• Paul Davey - Selwyn District Council
• Mayor Janie Annear - Timaru District Council
• Warwick Isaacs - Timaru District Council
• Mayor John Coles - Waimate District Council
• Tony Alden - Waimate District Council
• Mayor David Ayers - Waimakariri District Council
• Jim Palmer - Waimakariri District Council
• Mayor Alex Familton - Waitaki District Council
• Michael Ross - Waitaki District Council  

CWMS Group 

The CWMS Group - a directorate of Environment Canterbury - manages the zone and regional implementation programmes on a day-to-day basis.

The group provides professional support to the zone and regional committees to help them;

• implement biodiversity protection and repair activities
• liaise with tangata whenua in relation to kaitiakitanga responsibilities
• liaise with irrigators on the management of surface and groundwater flows
• work with water infrastructure developers to jointly develop resource consent applications
• work with the agricultural sector to look at land-use practices and efficiencies
• develop a charging regime
• work with recreational users
• broker new water consents and reviews/renewals of existing water consents.

Canterbury Water Zone Committee Facilitators

Barbara Nicholas

Barbara is a South Islander who has lived in both rural and urban communities. Much of her professional life has been in areas where science, policy and social values come together. Barbara has been a researcher and teacher in bioethics, and then moved into government work in health, controversial areas of biotechnology, and research and development policy.

Ian (Whit) Whitehouse

Ian designed, managed and facilitated Stage 3 of the Canterbury Strategic Water Study and has worked with many multi-stakeholder groups on Canterbury water issues. For the past four years he has run his own company. Facilitation for the Future, helping organisations to improve their sustainability performance and reporting. Prior to this he held various senior management roles at Landcare Research, including Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for 400 staff and $40m turnover.

Nic Newman 

Nic, originally from Mid Canterbury, has extensive experience working collaboratively with rural communities. He worked as a senior advisor for MAF's Sustainable Farming Fund for a number or years and has international experience working with rural communities in Andean, Peru. Nic has also worked as the Waihora Ellesmere Trust's Coordinator, giving him an extensive knowledge base of the local area and environment.

Melanie Schauer 

Melanie first worked for Environment Canterbury in 2006 in the Resource Care section which required her to work closely with many communities across the region. In 2008/09 Melanie led the community / stakeholder consultation stage of the CWMS which helped to shape the CWMS.

Prior to working for Environment Canterbury, Melanie worked for the Rotorua Lakes and Land Trust, the focus of which was to help facilitate discussion and action around water quality and landuse. Across her working life Melanie has gained extensive experience in facilitating stakeholder processes and managing competing needs and wants.

Matthew Ross

Before emigrating to New Zealand Matthew worked in the Policy, Operations and External Relations departments for the UK Government's Environment Agency for eight years.

His most recent role was in the Environmental Monitoring team. During his time with the organisation Matthew gained experience working with community groups and partnerships in the area of environmental sutainability, disadvantaged communities and economic regneration.