The committee will begin the meeting with an update from the Regional Committee, which is currently finalising its Regional Implementation Programme (RIP).

Following this, the committee will receive an overview on Environment Canterbury‘s evidence to the Huruni-Waiau Regional Plan (HWRP) hearing, and discuss the role of the zone committee.

The proposed HWRP was notified last October when the moratoria on consents for the two North Canterbury rivers ended. The Hearing is scheduled for early July.

The zone committee will then go on to receive updates on the Hurunui Water Project, the Amuri Integrated Water Project, and on the progress of implementing the Land Use and Water Quality (LUWQ) programme in the zone.

The zone committee will discuss the priorities for Environment Canterbury’s LUWQ implementation work programme in the zone, identify the priority activities for zone committee members, and discuss its approach to load limits in the Waiau catchment.

Next the committee will discuss its requirements for water monitoring and investigations in the zone with Environment Canterbury, before finishing the meeting with an update on the proposed LWRP.

Public submissions on Environment Canterbury’s working draft of the LWRP closed on 7 May. The draft plan recognises the need to acknowledge specific local circumstances so the structure is a combination of region-wide objectives, policies and rules, and provision for catchment-specific solutions.

Once finalised, the Plan will provide a key context for the delivery of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. Formal consultation on the plan is expected to occur in August.

The Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee was formed in mid-2010 to develop a programme of water management recommendations for the district. Since then the committee has attended countless meetings, engaged with numerous stakeholders and community groups, and listened to presentations from experts.

The culmination of the committee’s first 18 months of work was the presentation of the committee’s Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) to Environment Canterbury and Hurunui District Council in August 2011. The proposed Hurunui Waiau Regional Plan gives effect to many of the recommendations in the ZIP.

The Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee includes seven community members, two Rūnanga representatives, and one each from Hurunui District Council and Environment Canterbury.

The zone extends from north of the Ashley River to north of the Conway River and takes in Hanmer Springs, Waiau, Cheviot, Culverden, Hawarden, Waikari, Waipara and Amberley.

Agendas and minutes for each zone committee meeting can be found at http://www.ecan.govt.nz/canterburywater .

Committee meetings are open to the public.

Meeting information

Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee meeting
2pm, Monday, 21 May
Hurunui District Council Chambers, 66 Carters Road, Amberley

Link to agenda 

Environment Canterbury is looking to identify the source of the discharge, which is a white foam, likely to be a cleaning compound.

It has been discharged into a stormwater drain and has then entered the waterway.

If you have any knowledge of the source of this discharge please phone the Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88 or 03 366 4663.

The response and clean-up is being supervised by Environment Canterbury’s Timaru based oil-spill response team.

Environment Canterbury is continuing to monitor the final phases of the clean up and the effects of the oil spill into the Timaru Harbour.

Environment Canterbury’s Coast & Waterways Safety Manager Evan Walker says that the residual oil is being fully contained inside the booms and absorbent materials.

“Absorbent materials are still in place and are trapping the small amount of light surface oil remaining which is being remobilised off the wharf piles.

Oiled absorbent booms and pads are being progressively removed and replaced as needed by the vessel owners who caused the spill,” he said.

A full inspection of the port has been conducted today and a shoreline check and all is clear.

“At the present rate of progress it is likely that the booms will be able to be removed after this weekend.” said Mr Walker.

A site inspection will be conducted on Monday morning by the Regional on Scene Commander who will decide if the booms can be removed

There have been no new reports of impacted wildlife from the oil spill.

This month the committee will focus on community drinking water and tourism. The committee will receive presentations on both topics before discussing how they will develop recommendations to feed in to its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

Each zone committee is required to develop a ZIP to bring together its recommendations for water management in the zone to meet the targets and goals set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS).

The Banks Peninsula Zone Committee has developed some priority outcomes for water management and these will feed in to the ZIP. The committee also held a public meeting last year to talk to the community about local water issues.

The committee hopes to have its draft ZIP available to the public for feedback before the end of the year. Once finalised, the ZIP will be presented to councils to be endorsed as the basis for the design and realignment of work programmes, for drafting regional plan provisions.

At this month’s meeting the committee will also receive an update from the Regional Committee, which is currently working on finalising its Regional Implementation Programme (RIP).

The Regional Committee considers region-wide issues of environmental restoration and repair; land use impacts on water quality; as well as water, distribution, efficiency, and storage options.

The zone committee will then receive an update on water flows in the zone before finishing the meeting with a presentation on local tourism.

At next month’s meeting the committee will focus on local biodiversity issues and look at developing recommendations for the protection and enhancement of biodiversity values in the zone.

The Banks Peninsula Zone Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Zone Committee meetings are open to the public.

The committee consists of five community members, four Rūnanga representatives, and appointees from Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council.

Meeting details:

Banks Peninsula Zone Committee meeting
4pm, Tuesday, 15 may.
Akaroa Sports Complex, 28 Rue Jolie, Akaroa

A key focus for the committee will be on the implementation of its Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) and the committee’s work-plan for the future. The ZIP was formally endorsed by councils in May as the basis for the design and realignment of work programmes, for drafting regional plan provisions.

It features 50 recommendations to councils with Environment Canterbury leading or involved in 41 of the recommendations. Almost half the recommendations relate to the on-the-ground action and awareness initiatives for biodiversity, pests, water quality, drainage and nutrient management.

Immediate Steps biodiversity funding will be another priority at the meeting. Immediate Steps is a $10 million programme to protect and enhance native biodiversity values. The zone committee is responsible for local implementation of the programme.
At the meeting the biodiversity selection panel will recommend its selections for Immediate Steps funding to the wider committee. The committee has already allocated more than $60,000 to help fund community-led biodiversity projects.

Another focus for the committee will be on receiving an update on regional infrastructure and a briefing from the Regional Committee, which is currently working on finalising its Regional Implementation Programme (RIP). The Regional Committee considers region-wide issues of environmental restoration and repair; land use impacts on water quality; as well as water, distribution, efficiency, and storage options.

The committee will also receive a number of briefings on other local and regional water management issues including; the Pareora River Flow Plan, Orari flood plain strategy, Waitaki River Plan, and the progress of the draft Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) by Environment Canterbury.

Environment Canterbury made the staff working draft of the LWRP available for public feedback on its website in April. The purpose of the LWRP is to identify the resource management outcomes or goals for managing land and water resources in Canterbury to achieve the purpose of the Resource Management Act (1991) (RMA). The zone committee will specifically consider how the draft plan relates to its zone.

The committee will also receive a presentation on the Water Use Report which includes an update for each of the Canterbury Water zones on their progress towards installing water measuring devices in the 2010/11 year. The report also includes information on water allocation and actual water use (where available) for each of the zones. 

The OOP Zone Committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils. The zone extends south from the Rangitata River through to the Pareora catchment. It includes all of the Timaru district and parts of the Mackenzie and Waimate districts.

Meeting Details:

Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee meeting
1.30pm, Monday,14 May
Opuha Dam offices, 875 Arowhenua Road, Pleasant Point

View the Agenda link 

“These projects will protect and enhance a variety of ecosystem types, including wetlands, lowland streams and native vegetation remnants,” Jo Abbott said. “Projects include native plantings, weed control, pest and stockproof fencing.”

Projects to which funding has been allocated this round include:

In Kaikoura, riparian planting along Middle Creek will be undertaken with native eco-sourced plants on three adjacent properties. This will result in an extended stretch of the waterway being protected and habitat for native fish being enhanced. “Ecologically, it is much more effective to protect longer stretches of waterways,” Jo Abbott said.

Landowners on Banks Peninsula have received funding to enable them to fence stock out of a significant area of land which includes volcanic rocky outcrops, the headwaters of a stream and remnant scrub and forest vegetation. “This project rated very highly ecologically because of the rarity of these ecosystems in Banks Peninsula,” Jo Abbott said.

In the Selwyn Waihora region, the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust was granted funding to help landowners erect fencing to protect 347 hectares of native and regenerating bush. “When completed this will be a great place for the public to visit and view a restoration project in action,” Jo Abbott said.

In Upper Waitaki, funding was allocated to protect a rare bog pine dominated ecosystem in and around the Ben Dhu Scientific Reserve. “The aim of the project is to control wilding pines to help protect this area of bog pine and other native vegetation, including native broom, adjacent to a scientific reserve,” Jo Abbott said. “Wilding pine control is very important work and we recently supported successful volunteer days in other parts of Canterbury.”

In Lower Waitaki, funding was awarded for protection of kanuka and other native species in gullies on a dairy farm. “This project shows how biodiversity and ecosystem protection can be incorporated into a working landscape,” Jo Abbott said.
Environment Canterbury has also allocated grants on behalf of the Honda Treefund. Honda sponsors 10 native trees to be planted for every new car sold, with another three funded by local Honda dealers. “Projects awarded funding include the Otamahua / Quail Island ecological restoration, which is an ongoing programme of planting native species to provide food for native birds,” Jo Abbott said.

More than $243,000 in biodiversity support funding was granted in the current round and the year-to-date figure now exceeds $380,000. 

Landowners who believe they have a good idea for a biodiversity project deserving support should contact their local Environment Canterbury Biodiversity Officer via 0800 324 636 or biodiversity@ecan.govt.nz

This year’s duck shooting season officially opens on Saturday, May 5.

The Community and Public Health division of Canterbury District Health Board is warning people the toxic algal bloom, for Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere near Christchurch and Lake Rotorua near Kaikoura, remains in place as duck shooting season approaches. 

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Ramon Pink says the lakes are still in bloom with concentrations of blue-green algae (planktonic cyanobacteria) above the levels considered to be safe for recreational activities.

“People should avoid contact with these lakes until the health warnings have been lifted, as there is increased probability of respiratory, irritation and allergy symptoms from exposure to the high density of the cyanobacterial material present,” Dr Pink says.

“If you experience any of these symptoms visit your General Practice team immediately and please let your doctor know if you have had contact with the lake water.”

Dr Pink says algae are particularly harmful to dogs and hunters are recommended to not let their pets come into contact or drink water from the lakes. 

Shooters should also wash their hands thoroughly if they come in contact with the lake water or when handling ducks from the lake. 

“Ducks from the lake are fine to cook and eat if their gut has been removed.” 

Environment Canterbury continues to monitor the lake and the public will be advised when the Lake is clear of concentrations of algae deemed of public health significance.

Facts about cyanobacteria:

The algae occur naturally but can increase rapidly during warmer months

If the water is cloudy, discoloured, or has small globules suspended in it, avoid all contact

Not all cyanobacterial blooms are visible and toxins can persist after the blooms disappear

Cyanobacterial concentrations can change quickly with changing environmental conditions (e.g. wind). If a health warning is in place avoid contact with the water.

For further information

Or contact Community and Public Health on (03) 364 1777.

The response and clean-up is being supervised by Environment Canterbury’s Timaru based oil-spill response team, and a shoreline assessment has been conducted in the harbour by staff this morning to assess the extent of the spill and impact on the shoreline. 

Specialist absorbent material from Christchurch has been shipped overnight to Timaru to assist in the clean-up and Environment Canterbury’s trained responders are working with the vessel owners involved to complete the clean-up.

Environment Canterbury's wildlife co-ordinator is also on site in Timaru and is doing a full assessment of the impact on local wildlife.

It is not known yet the exact amount of oil that was released or the cause of the spill, but the spill has stopped and has been contained.

The ZIP recommends actions, responsibilities and time-frames for activities to help achieve the principles, targets and goals set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS).

Once accepted by councils, ZIPs form the basis for the design and realignment of council work and planning programmes for freshwater. The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee plans to present the ZIP to Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie District Councils before the end of May.

Zone Committee Chair Barry Shepherd said the committee has worked hard to reach consensus decisions that reflect the needs of the community.

“The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee has worked collaboratively with stakeholders and community members to develop recommendations for water management that are acceptable to a wide range of interests.

“The underlying philosophy of the CWMS is that local communities should be making decisions on local water management and the ZIP is intended to reflect the needs of local people.

“As a committee we have a wide diversity of experience and this means when we came to putting detail on paper all reasonable endeavour was made to capture a diverse range of opinions in the ZIP,” he said.

The ZIP contains more than 50 recommendations to councils to achieve the vision of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS); “to enable present and future generations the greatest social, economic, recreational and cultural benefits from our water resources within an environmentally sustainable framework.”

It includes recommendations on five key areas; Water nutrient and effluent management; Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan including environmental limits and development; Braided Rivers; Biodiversity; Prosperity.

The ZIP has been developed following numerous committee meetings and extensive stakeholder and community engagement to gather information about the region’s water resource.

The ZIP was released for community feedback in early March and community meetings were held with stakeholders and the community to get feedback. 

Barry Shepherd said how water is allocated and used is crucial to the future of the region and the committee was pleased with the level of interested shown by stakeholders and the community.

“We were happy with the response we received at the public meetings. Participants represented a wide range of interests ensuring we gathered a diverse range of feedback.

“We gathered some very constructive feedback and were given plenty to think about and this has been reflected in the final version of the ZIP.

“The importance of gathering extensive data in the zone was a common theme and until we have more zone specific information we believe a staged approach to land development and irrigation along with audited self management is appropriate to allow time to address the range of economic, environmental and social targets set by the CWMS.

“It is vital we get water management right as the decisions we make now will affect our quality of life and prosperity both now and for future generations,” he said

In November last year preliminary public meetings were also held across the zone to discuss water management priorities. The feedback from the meetings helped guide the recommendations in the committee’s draft ZIP for water management. More than 60 people attended these public meetings.

A final version of the Upper Waitaki ZIP is available.

The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie District councils.

Biodiversity Officer Sam Shannon said there had been an excellent turnout, helped by good weather despite poor forecasts earlier in the week.

“Around 100 people identified bird species on the lagoon with the help of Department of Conservation staff and spotting scopes, and enjoyed fish tank displays and an electro-fishing demonstration by Fish & Game staff, harakeke (flax) weaving, a barbecue with food supplied by NZ Dairies – and for the kids a duck-calling competition and lolly scramble,” Sam said.

“Local landowner Murray Bruce and Waihao Rūnanga representatives Aerini Heath-Boyd and John Wilkie spoke about the history of Wainono Lagoon, its cultural significance and importance to local residents. They told stories about the large numbers of eels that used to be found in the lagoon, and how commercial harvesting had decimated the population.”

The field day was a chance for the public to learn more about Wainono Lagoon and participate in the restoration project that is now getting under way.

Wainono Lagoon is a South Canterbury treasure. It is a coastal lagoon and wetland of great importance for its birdlife and native fish.

The lagoon is a 480-hectare saltmarsh and freshwater wetland that supports a wide range of native vegetation types. The margins of Wainono Lagoon are the most extensive wetland area in lowland South Canterbury.

The lagoon was once very important to Ngāi Tahu hapū of South Canterbury as a mahinga kai source. Unfortunately this is no longer the case because of the degraded state of the lagoon.

The restoration will cost $2.5 million over five years for fencing, planting and weed management.

Recently the government announced $800,000 in funding from the Fresh Start for Freshwater Fund towards the restoration, adding to $225,000 in already-allocated Canterbury Water Management Strategy funding. Environment Canterbury is also contributing further funding to ensure that this important project is successful.

There was a photo competition at the field day. This will be judged on Friday 4 May (photos should be emailed to sam.shannon@ecan.govt.nz before 11 am that day) – details on the competition and the restoration project overall can be found at ecan.govt.nz/Wainono

Canterbury Water Management Strategy

The Wainono Restoration Project was selected by the Canterbury Water Management Strategy Regional Committee as one of three key flagship restoration initiatives for Canterbury.
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy captures the community’s shared vision for managing water. It is a collaborative process involving Environment Canterbury, Ngāi Tahu, and stakeholders with an interest in water management.

The aim for biodiversity projects such as Wainono Lagoon is to provide more and better freshwater to support ecosystems, as well as improve habitat and species numbers.

When the new plan is in place late next year it will provide key context for delivery of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

The draft plan recognises the need to acknowledge specific local circumstances. The structure is therefore a combination of region-wide objectives, policies and rules, and provision for catchment-specific solutions.

Promulgation of the Land and Water Regional Plan is a Resource Management Act process so is subject to the formal public submission process following notification, which is likely to happen in August this year.

The current round of public consultation, which is separate from the RMA process, closes on Monday 7 May.

For the latest draft of the Land and Water Regional Plan and a summary of its key elements by Commissioner Peter Skelton, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp

Environment Canterbury Passenger Services Manager David Stenhouse says the free bus system has worked well and as rugby fans have appreciated the chance to park and ride, the free buses will run again for this game.

“We know the areas where the demand for the bus rides is greatest, and have adjusted bus numbers accordingly,’’ he says. “We now have additional buses leaving from Northwood Supa Centa and Merivale Mall. The buses will leave these two venues at 2.30pm to ensure fans get to the stadium no later than 3.30 pm. Buses will also take fans back to their car after the game, leaving as soon as they are full.’’

“As with the last two games, however, we are encouraging rugby goers to leave themselves plenty of time to get to the game and to check timetables if they are travelling by our normal network service.’’

The plan to offer free buses for ticket holders is jointly funded by Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council, VBase and the Stadium Trust. 

People can find details and departure times for the services from Northwood Supa Centa and Merivale Mall which go to the game, and for the service from Beresford Street in New Brighton which goes via Pages Road and the Eastgate Shopping Centre to the game. Park and Ride is also available from the Hornby Hub and The Palms.

Timetables and all details are on www.metroinfo.co.nz or you can phone Metroinfo on 366 8855.

Resource Management Officer Coordinator David Hewson says nearly 200 volunteers had cleared wildings from 700 hectares of high country over three days in March and April.

“Thanks to all the volunteers who worked so hard at Flock Hill Station for two days and Lake Lyndon for one day to uproot or chop down the green menace,” Mr Hewson said. “Their catchcry was, ‘No green needles’ (to be left on the cut tree stump so it doesn’t regrow).

“The volunteers’ contribution is valued up to $10,000 a day and the days also help to raise community awareness.”

Volunteers this year came from from Christchurch Tramping Club, Pegasus Tramping Club, Rangiora Tramping Club, Canterbury University Tramping Club, Over 40s Tramping Club, Peninsula Tramping Club, High Country Fire Team, Canterbury Combined 4 Wheel Drive Club, PB Power and Union Rowing Club.

“Their work is very important because wilding trees threaten the unique landscape and native flora and fauna in the Upper Waimakariri basin,” David Hewson said. “The volunteer programme targets smaller scattered trees and complements the work of contractors who tackle the larger, denser populations of trees.”

Environment Canterbury Chief Executive Bill Bayfield attended the 31 March volunteer day at Flock Hill. “The country is magnificent, the people were brilliant and we all worked really hard,” he said.

Background

The uncontrolled spread of the introduced species wilding pine in Canterbury is an extensive and growing problem that threatens a range of important values including biodiversity, production and landscape values. They displace indigenous habitats and species, obscure scenic views, disrupt expansive landscapes, reduce farm profitability, increase fire risk, impact cultural and historic sites, and decrease water yield in flow-sensitive catchments.

Early control of wilding pine can be cost effective and control costs escalate quickly if action is delayed and trees are allowed to seed.

The Waimakariri Ecological and Landscape Restoration Alliance (WELRA) was formed by the Canterbury community to provide leadership and co-ordination of wilding control work in the Waimakariri Basin.

WELRA has raised and spent almost $500,000 on wilding control work in the last year, using specialist contractors and helicopter spraying for very dense areas.

The Alliance includes local farmers, residents of Castle Hill village, Environment Canterbury, the Department of Conservation and others.

Those who wish to get involved in wilding tree control should contact WELRA
For more information, go to Wilding Conifers in Canterbury.

Environment Canterbury is required to set water quality and quantity limits under the Government’s National Policy Statement (NPS) for Freshwater Management. To give effect to the NPS Environment Canterbury is developing a Land and Water Plan (expected to be notified in July 2012) to replace the water quality and quantity chapters of the Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan.

A process is also underway– based on the 2010/11 limit-setting process in the Hurunui-Waiau zone – for the zone committee to make recommendations on limits. These recommendations will cover minimum river flows, water allocation and nutrient load limits and will go to Environment Canterbury’s Commissioners by the end of the year.

The process involves a wide range of focus groups (drawn from environmental, farming, recreational, community and industry stakeholders) considering a range of scenarios developed by the zone committee.

At the meeting the committee will further discuss a suite of possible future scenarios that will be modelled by scientists, and then analysed by the focus groups as part of the limit-setting process. The scenarios range from development-focused to environmentally focussed and are being modelled to predict the likely outcomes on the economy, the environment, social and cultural indicators, as well as on-farm implications.

The Land and Water Plan will contain interim limits set at the regional level, and also enables limits to be set at the zone level in a series of sub-regional chapters. These sub regional limits will supersede the interim regional ones.

The committee will finish the meeting by receiving an update from Environment Canterbury on progress implementing the Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) and then it will hear the Selwyn District Council’s response to the ZIP.

In recent months the main focus for the Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee has been on working with the community to develop a programme of recommendations for water management.

The final ZIP was endorsed by the Selwyn District and Christchurch City councils, as well as Environment Canterbury, in late 2011. It now forms the basis for the design and realignment of council work and planning programmes for freshwater.

The Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee is a joint committee of the Christchurch City and Selwyn District Councils, and Environment Canterbury.

Zone Committee meetings are open to the public to attend.

Meeting information

Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee meeting
Tuesday, 1 May at 1pm
Selwyn District Council Offices, Norman Kirk Drive, Rolleston

Read the agenda (2 MB)

Environment Canterbury Commissioners endorsed the ZIP as the basis for the design and realignment of work programmes, for drafting regional plan provisions. The Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils will receive the ZIP in May.

Environment Canterbury Commissioner and OOP Zone Committee member Tom Lambie said the ZIP represents the consensus reached by committee members on the local actions needed to achieve the targets outlined in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

“The Orari-Opihi-Pareora ZIP is the sixth, of ten, to be presented to Environment Canterbury so it is pleasing to see real progress being made in meeting the goals set out in the CWMS.

“This ZIP acknowledges that water is precious and it is limited. It must be managed in ways that recognise and balance its importance for cultural, economic and recreational use within a sustainable framework.

“It also recognises tangata whenua and the value they place on mahinga kai, and the priority of available high quality sources of drinking water in rivers, waterways and aquifers.

“We acknowledge that to achieve all the targets of the CWMS within our zone it is necessary to find a way to bring more water into the zone. The ZIP sets the actions and responsibilities for achieving this,” he said.

“Today’s endorsement by council is a tribute to the hard work the committee and the community has put in and it is a true milestone for water management in Canterbury,” he said.

OOP Zone Committee Chair Dermott O’Sullivan said the committee was pleased with the interest shown by the community in local water issues.

“Since forming in April 2011 the committee has held numerous committee meetings and extensive stakeholder and community engagement to gather information about the region’s water resource.

“This implementation programme is about what needs to happen on the ground to protect, enhance and improve the use of water in our zone. It is about providing for future generations.

“We received 42 written responses on the ZIP and the feedback was generally positive, with agreement on the committee’s approach to catchment-led initiatives.

“The final ZIP effectively represents the consensus reached by committee members on the local actions needed to improve water management in the zone. This consensus also took into account the wide range of views from local people and organisations, canvassed by the zone committee during the development of the ZIP.

The OOP ZIP contains 50 recommendations to councils. Environment Canterbury is leading or involved in 41 of the recommendations.

Almost half the recommendations in the ZIP relate to the on-the-ground action and awareness initiatives for biodiversity, pests, water quality, drainage and nutrient management. These recommendations support catchment-level activities to protect and enhance braided rivers, foothill and lowland streams/waterways and coastal lagoons/waterways.

The recommendations cover three overall priority areas:

• Supporting catchment-level activities - understanding what is needed, and facilitating and leading the changes that are required
• The needs of the environment- river management, improving water quality, customary use, drinking-water
• Optimizing the use of the water and securing additional reliable and economically viable water supplies to meet the needs of the zone.

Establishing and supporting vibrant catchment groups are also an important part of Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone's vision. The committee also encourages industry to take a key role in working with land-owners and catchment groups to improve on-farm management.

Copies of the final ZIP can be downloaded at Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Implementation Programme page.

For more information on the various plans visit Regional Strategies and Plans.

When the new plan is in place late next year it will provide key context for delivery of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

The draft plan recognises the need to acknowledge specific local circumstances. The structure is therefore a combination of region-wide objectives, policies and rules, and provision for catchment-specific solutions.

Promulgation of the Land and Water Regional Plan is a Resource Management Act process so is subject to the formal public submission process following notification, which is likely to happen in August this year.

Public meetings are being held at Lincoln on Monday 30 April, Cheviot (Wednesday 2 May) and Timaru (Thursday 3 May).  The current round of public consultation, which is separate from the RMA process, closes on 7 May 2012.

The committee will begin the meeting with an update on the Regional Committee. The Regional Committee released its draft Regional Implementation Programme (RIP) for public feedback in March. A series of public meetings were held around Canterbury to gather feedback and talk with locals.

The draft RIP identifies four priority issues which need to be addressed at a regional level to meet the multiple targets in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. The priority issues are: Kaitiakitanga; Ecosystem health and biodiversity; Land use and water quality; Regional infrastructure.

The Christchurch-West Melton Zone Committee will then go on to discuss its work programme for the coming months before receiving an update on the current draft Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP). A staff working draft of the LWRP is currently available for community feedback until 7 May.

The purpose of the LWRP is to identify the resource management outcomes or goals for managing land and water resources in Canterbury to achieve the purpose of the Resource Management Act (1991) (RMA). The zone committee will specifically consider how the draft plan relates to its zone.

Next the committee will receive an update from the working group that has been discussing biodiversity priorities for the zone and the approach the committee will take to allocating Immediate Steps biodiversity funding.

Immediate Steps is a $10 million programme over five years to protect and enhance biodiversity values in Canterbury. Zone Committees are responsible for allocating the funding in their area and the model also requires contributions from applicants.

The committee will finish the meeting by receiving a presentation on the pollution hotline data and how it relates to the zone.

The Christchurch-West Melton Zone Committee was formed in October 2011 and was the final of ten zone committees to be formed under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS).

The role of the committee is to make consensus based decisions about water management in the zone. The committee meets each month to learn about the water resource in the zone and engage with community members to get their feedback.

The end goal of the committee is to develop a set of water management recommendations that will be submitted to councils in the form of a Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

The zone committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council and the Selwyn District Council. It features six community members as well as three Rūnunga representatives and three from councils. The monthly meetings are open to the public.

Meeting details

Christchurch – West Melton Zone Committee meeting
6pm, Thursday 26 April 2012
Avonhead Tennis Club, in Crosbie Park off Apsley Road.

Read the agenda (831 kB)