At the regular meeting the committee will receive a presentation from members of the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee on new infrastructure and water quality.

The committee will also be briefed on the Land and Water Regional Plan by Peter Constantine – Principal Planner Advisor at Environment Canterbury – as well as an update on the Regional Committee.

The meeting will finish with updates on the Pareora and Orari Flow plan.

The main focus for the OOP committee over the past few months has been to finalise its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

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

The draft ZIP includes recommendations to reflect the committee’s overall priorities:

• To support and facilitate catchment level initiatives, to protect and enhance water quality and biodiversity, on which so much else is dependent
• To optimise the use of the water resource we currently have, and secure additional reliable and economically viable water supplies to meet the needs of a water short-zone.

The committee has now released its draft ZIP for public feedback and members of the public will be invited to attend community meetings around the zone – on February 9, 10, and 14 – and submit written feedback on-line by March 9.

Meeting details are being advertised in local papers and are also available here.

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.

Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee meeting Friday 10 February
Commencing at 1.30pm (note the later time from previously advertised)
Southburn Hall, Corner of Caird Road and Pareora River Road.

Read the agenda (8 kB)

At the meeting the main focus for the zone committee will be on finalising its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

Committee members have been working for months to understand water issues in the zone with the goal of developing a programme of recommendations to councils on how to manage the region’s water to enable present and future generations the greatest social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

The committee held a series of public meetings in mid-November to get local feedback on the priorities for water management in the zone. These priorities, along with the community feedback, have guided the committee’s development of its draft ZIP.

Once finalised, the community will also have an opportunity to provide feedback on the draft ZIP before it is submitted to councils. The committee expects to be calling for feedback on its draft ZIP in February 2012.

Once endorsed by councils, the ZIP will form the basis for the design and realignment of council work and planning programmes for freshwater. The committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie District councils.

At the meeting the committee will also review a summary of the Commissioners’ Rulings on the latest consent applications in the Upper Waitaki.

Zone committee meetings are open to the public and community members are encouraged to attend.

Meeting information

Upper Waitaki Zone Committee meeting
Thursday, 9 February 2012 at 3:00 pm
Peppers Bluewater Resort in Lake Tekapo

Read the agenda (1.4 MB)

At the meeting the committee will discuss its workplan for 2012 and agree on its focus for the year as well as the key strategic areas that require further development.

The committee will also discuss scenarios for setting nutrient limits for Te Waihora / Lake Ellesmere before receiving a presentation on Environment Canterbury’s response to the committee’s Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) which was endorsed by the regional council in late 2011.

The Selwyn-Waihora 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. Once endorsed by Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council, and the Selwyn District Council, it forms the basis for the design and realignment of council work and planning programmes for freshwater.

The ZIP has been developed following numerous briefings from technical experts, a number of field trips around the district, and extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders and committee members.

The committee will end its meeting by electing a new chair following the resignation of Peter Jackson at the end of last year.

The Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee is a joint committee of the Christchurch City and Selwyn District Councils, and Environment Canterbury. The Selwyn-Waihora Zone takes in Lakes Ellesmere (Te Waihora) and Coleridge and the townships of Leeston, Lincoln, Hororata, Darfield, Rolleston and Springfield.

Zone Committee meetings are open to the public to attend.

Meeting information

Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee meeting
Tuesday, 7 February at 1pm
Selwyn District Council Offices, Norman Kirk Drive, Rolleston

Read the agenda

The 29 Airport to city via Fendalton will also operate at a higher frequency, providing trips every half hour, instead of every hour.

Metro users in Harewood and Belfast are also affected by changes and have been advised of alternative Metro routes.

The changes are a result of the ending of the 10 Airport to Cashmere and 16 Belfast services. (This was previously advised Changes to the Airport and 10 Harewood/ Cashmere Services)

Bus users, people living on key affected routes and stakeholders have received information explaining the changes. The changes have been advertised on the buses themselves and at bus stops.

Timetables for the number 12 Northwood-Cashmere, 15 Bishopdale to Murray-Aynsley and 29 Airport to city via Fendalton are available on www.metroinfo.co.nz or by ringing Metroinfo 366 8855.

The chairman of ORC’s engineering and natural hazards committee, Cr David Shepherd, said significant damage to flood control works on the river in the past two years and the resulting impact of this on rating, had raised questions about how best to sustainably manage the river margins.

“The difficulties with managing the riparian margin of what is a large and very active braided river are also exacerbated by damage to riparian margins caused by some landholders on both public and private land,” Cr Shepherd said.

The Lower Waitaki River Liaison Group, comprising representatives of landholders, irrigation companies, Environment Canterbury, Meridian Energy, and ORC, reviews and makes recommendations on annual works programmes and budgets.

The liaison group has agreed that a strategy should be prepared with input from stakeholders and guidance from ORC.

The Lower Waitaki River lies partly in Otago and partly in Canterbury.

Environment Canterbury oversees all of the maintenance works and their planning and the ORC contributes its share of the costs.

Cr Shepherd said the ORC contribution from targeted rates had grown from $70,632 in 2007-2008 to $108,000 in 2010-11.

“These increases are not sustainable, which is why we have decided to act now to manage the area more strategically,” he said.

ORC director of engineering and natural hazards Gavin Palmer said effective riparian management along many parts of the river relied on willows that have colonised naturally on privately-owned land.

Although not established expressly as ‘flood protection and control works’ they achieved the same result and were maintained accordingly by the scheme.

Despite this, some landholders had removed willows on their properties to establish pasture.

“This has a detrimental effect on the river in two ways – it removes vital riparian protection and it establishes higher value land use in vulnerable locations,” Dr Palmer said.

“This in turn places greater reliance on the effective performance of established flood protection and control measures (such as groynes and plantings) and demand for additional river bank protection,” he said.

Environment Canterbury and its predecessors have planted riparian margins along some parts of the river expressly for river control. Despite being “owned” by the scheme, these plantings do not have adequate legal protection from deliberate or accidental damage or removal by landholders, especially in the case of plantings on private land.

Cr Shepherd said that because there were no regulatory controls in place for the Lower Waitaki, it was timely to incorporate provisions into a review of the Otago Flood Protection Management bylaw.

Environment Canterbury is also considering developing a bylaw for the part of the Lower Waitaki that falls within its jurisdiction.

Cr Shepherd said the strategy would review the adequacy of current regional and district plans in relation to the Lower Waitaki River and determine whether additional or different measures are necessary to complement the bylaw(s).

It would cover the river everywhere downstream of Kurow.

Both regional councils would embark on a monitoring programme based on topographic data which would be collected co-operatively. This would ensure duplication of effort did not occur, Cr Shepherd said.

The draft 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 finalised the ZIP will form the basis for the design and realignment of council work and planning programmes for freshwater.

Environment Canterbury Commissioner and zone committee member Tom Lambie said the completion of the draft ZIP is the culmination of months of hard work by the committee.

“The Orari-Opihi-Pareora draft ZIP has been developed following numerous committee meetings and many conversations with stakeholders and community members to gather information about the region’s water resource.

“The CWMS challenges us to develop a set of recommendations that will provide present and future generations with the greatest social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

“After years of hard work developing the CWMS it is exciting for everyone involved to be able to begin implementing its vision in this zone and we look forward to hearing the views of the community before we finalise our ZIP,” he said.

In mid-October the Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee held a first round of public meetings to get community feedback on priorities for water management in the zone. The feedback from these meetings helped guide the draft ZIP.

The Orari-Opihi-Pareora draft ZIP contains around 40 recommendations to the Timaru and Mackenzie district councils, Environment Canterbury, and other stakeholders.

It includes recommendations to reflect the committee’s overall priorities to:

• Support and facilitate catchment level initiatives, to protect and enhance water quality and biodiversity, on which so much else is dependent
• Optimise the use of the water resource we currently have, and secure additional reliable and economically viable water supplies to meet the needs of a water short-zone.

Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee Chair Dermott O’Sullivan said how water is allocated and used is crucial to the future of the region so people should feel compelled to have their say.

“The underlying philosophy of the CWMS is that local communities should be making decisions on local water management. The Orari-Opihi-Pareora draft ZIP is the mechanism for delivering these goals so we are sure people will want to provide their feedback on our recommendations.

“The committee has operated in a collaborative manner to capture a diverse range of opinions in our draft ZIP. It is intended to reflect a commitment by all committee members to achieve an agreed outcome that will deliver all the CWMS targets in the zone,” he said.

Community members will have until 9 March to provide their feedback on the Orari-Opihi-Pareora draft ZIP. This can be done by visiting www.ecan.govt/canterburywater or by attending one of the public meetings being held in February. A limited number of draft ZIPs will also be available at the Environment Canterbury (Ellesmere Centre, 24 Edward Street, Lincoln) or the Timaru and Mackenzie district council offices.

Community meeting details

Thursday, 9 February 7-9pm Timaru District Council, Barnard Street, Timaru

Friday, 10 February 4-6pm Southburn Hall, corner Caird and Pareora River Roads

Tuesday 14 February 1-3pm Mackenzie Community Centre, Main St, Fairlie

Tuesday 14 February 7-9pm St Andrews Church Hall, 10 Cox St, Geraldine

The independent report was commissioned by Environment Canterbury and supported by the Hurunui District Council, the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee, and the Canterbury Water Management Strategy Regional Committee.

Environment Canterbury Commissioner and Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee member David Bedford said a major water storage scheme such as the Waitohi would deliver economic benefits to the region as well as satisfying environmental and recreational needs.

Evaluation of the three water storage options in the report takes into account the wide range of values set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. These include environmental enhancement of our rivers and lakes, water for economic development, safe and reliable drinking water, as well as cultural aspects and the recreational use of freshwater.

The potential for water storage in the Waitohi River catchment also aligns with the recommendations in the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee’s Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP), prepared under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. 

The Zone Implementation Programme was completed in August 2011 following more than a year of community engagement and discussions with stakeholders on water management priorities in the Hurunui-Waiau zone.

The Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee recommended deferring the investigation of water storage options at Lake Sumner and the South Branch of the Hurunui River for two years until the Waitohi option had been more fully investigated.

Three organisations - Hurunui Water Project, Direct Project Management, and Fraser Geologics – have now developed storage proposals for the Waitohi River. The report identifies the Hurunui Water Project proposal as the preferred option. 

“Years of investigations and research have shown a storage scheme such as that proposed by the Hurunui Water Project is an effective way to provide water to meet a broad range of community needs,” said David Bedford.

“This includes more secure and better quality water for rural community water supplies as well as for recreational opportunities,” he said.

“The zone committee recommended investigating the Waitohi storage option because of preservation of environmental and recreational values while still enabling irrigation development.

“The independent report found a storage scheme in the Waitohi is likely to be affordable.

“Further work by the developer will be needed, however, to determine the impact of the higher water costs of this project on farming practice and how this is likely to affect uptake and participation by land users,” said David Bedford.

The report panel used set criteria to test each Waitohi option including capital cost, environmental impact, contribution of hydroelectricity, and expediency. It also compared various factors such as dam size, water volume, construction cost, hectares irrigated, and commercial considerations, for each of the three proposals.

The report found the Hurunui Water Project proposal for the Waitohi generally outperformed the other two proposals when taking an integrated view of key criteria. The other proposals, however, did have specific features which were worthy of consideration.

The report concluded all three proposals could be designed and operated to achieve good alignment with the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Implementation Programme, as well as the proposed Hurunui and Waiau River Regional Plan.

The report will be considered more fully at the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee’s next meeting on February 20.

View the report (1.2 MB)

View more information about the Hurunui-Waiau zone committee

The Waitohi Selection Panel

The report was prepared by the Waitohi Selection Panel, made up of three professionals with complementary technical and commercial skills.

They were: Greg Anderson from Northington Partners (financial and commercial); Andrew Fenemor from Landcare Research (hydrology and policy alignment); and Walter Lewthwaite from URS (engineering and technical).

Environment Canterbury Regional Programmes Manager Stephen Hall said the Environmental Enhancement Fund – administered by Environment Canterbury’s Biodiversity Team – provides financial support to communities where it can make a real difference.

“We want to ensure most funding goes to on-the-ground biodiversity projects that people can see and take part in.

“Projects that will deliver the greatest biodiversity benefits are most likely to be supported. The top priority is for projects to protect areas that already have high biodiversity value, such as fencing an area of native bush.

“Projects that enhance or restore areas with some existing biodiversity value, such as pest eradication around an area of native vegetation, are a secondary priority.

“A third level priority for funding is available for projects that require entirely new plantings aimed at creating biodiversity hotspots,” he said.

Up to 50% funding is available for most biodiversity projects although this can be raised for areas of high biodiversity value. Labour costs can be considered as part of the funding.

The Environmental Enhancement Fund is part of a wider package of Environment Canterbury funding to protect and restore native flora and fauna throughout the region. This package – which totals around $2 million per year – includes the Canterbury Water Management Strategy Immediate Steps programme for freshwater biodiversity.

Immediate Steps projects are administered by the 10 zonal water management committees set up as part of Canterbury Water Management Strategy. It is specifically for projects that cover the protection of endangered species and waahi taonga (sacred sites). It also covers maintenance of Canterbury’s braided rivers, providing habitat for native flora and fauna, as well as protecting wetlands and other ecosystems (see Canterbury Biodiversity).

Applications for EEF funding are accepted all year round. The projects that have the highest biodiversity value will be funded immediately if they met the relevant criteria.

Contact Environment Canterbury’s Biodiversity Team on 0800 324 636 if you have a project that might be eligible for funding. For further information you can also download an application form from the Funding page.

The free Expo is being hosted by the Canterbury Dairy Effluent Group – an industry-council initiative set up in 2008 – to promote environmental compliance and the optimal use of dairy effluent on farms.

“We are really keen to see as many dairy farmers and employees as possible visit the Expo where they will have the opportunity to browse and learn from the more than 25 companies and organisations providing services and advice to the dairy industry,” said Libby Sutherland, Canterbury Sustainable Dairy Advisor for Fonterra, and Chair of the Expo organising group.

“It is not often that dairy farmers have the opportunity to compare such a variety of information on dairy effluent under one roof, on one day.”

“We believe the expo will be well received by farmers who are looking for quality advice following interest generated by the establishment of the Farm Dairy Effluent Design Code of Practice and Standards.

“The Expo gives farmers a chance to talk to effluent system suppliers to find out how a system can be designed to follow the Code, so it is ‘fit for purpose’ and caters specifically to their farming operation.”

Environment Canterbury Commissioner and dairy farmer Tom Lambie says new regulatory requirements within the Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan also make the Expo very timely.

“The willingness of suppliers and industry to work together to deliver compliant, practical, and economical solutions on-farm is evident in the number of exhibitors supporting this free-to-farmer expo,” said Tom Lambie.

Lucy Bowker, Environmental Manager for Synlait, said the timing of the event should help farmers to cost out their requirements in plenty of time to set budgets for any upgrades.

“Interest has been good. We’ve had more than 25 companies register to-date.

“They quickly recognised the opportunity to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for farmers who are doing their budgeting and are planning system upgrades.”

The Canterbury Dairy Effluent Management Group was formed to help improve on-farm environmental compliance and optimal use of dairy effluent.

Recognising farmers, their industry representatives and environmental regulators all had similar goals of good environmental stewardship, the parties have worked together on the focus and use of consistent messages to help farmers improve awareness regarding effluent management.

The Group includes DairyNZ, Environment Canterbury, AgITO, Federated Farmers, SIDDC, Fonterra, NZ Dairies, Synlait and Westland. It was established in 2008 to work collaboratively towards improving dairy industry environmental performance through a range of measures.

Canterbury Effluent Expo details

Date and time: Monday 20 February, from 10am – 4pm.
Location: The Christchurch Riding for the Disabled Centre, Canterbury Agricultural Park. Entry from Curletts Road.

Further information is available from Environment Canterbury, DairyNZ, Fonterra, NZ Dairies, Synlait and Westland.

At the meeting the committee will appoint a chair, deputy chair, and a representative to sit on the Regional Committee.

The committee will also receive presentations on the Water Supply Strategy and the Surface Water Strategy from Christchurch City Council representatives.

Following this, the committee will receive a presentation from the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) about the Recovery Strategy.

The committee will finish the meeting by hearing from committee member Herena Stone about local Rūnanga and water management before discussing priority areas for Immediate Steps biodiversity funding.

The zone committee is responsible for the local implementation of the Immediate Steps Biodiversity programme. Immediate Steps is a $10 million programme for biodiversity to help protect endangered species and waahi taonga (sacred sites).

It also covers maintenance of Canterbury’s braided rivers, providing habitat for native flora and fauna, as well as protecting wetlands and other ecosystems.

Formed in October 2011, the Christchurch-West Melton Zone Committee 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 Rūnanga representatives and three from councils.

The community members are; Ann Winstanley, Deidre Francis, Hugh Thorpe, Ian Fox, Jon Harding, and Robert Wynn-Williams. The Rūnanga appointees are; Herena Stone (Rāpaki), Arapata Reuben (Tūāhuriri) and Craig Pauling (Taumutu). The three council representatives are; Environment Canterbury Commissioner Rex Williams, Selwyn District Councillor Debra Hasson and Christchurch City Councillor Sally Buck.

Read the agenda (643 kB)

At the meeting the zone committee will receive an update on the Ashburton Flow Plan and presentations on the Managed Aquifer Recharge and Ashburton River B Block water sharing.

In late 2011 the committee’s Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) for water management was endorsed by Environment Canterbury and the Ashburton District Council. It was developed following numerous committee meetings and extensive stakeholder and community engagement to gather information about the region’s water resource.

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) in the Ashburton zone.

The recommendations will be given effect through a sub-regional plan for the Hakatere/Ashburton River – to be developed by Environment Canterbury – which will sit within the Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan.

The Asburton Zone Committee is a joint committee of the Ashburton District Council and Environment Canterbury. The Ashburton zone extends from the Rakaia River to the Rangitata River and includes Ashburton, Rakaia and Methven.

The Members of the Ashburton Zone Committee are: Arapata Reuben (Tuahuriri), Terrianna Smith (Taumutu), Karl Russell (Arowhenua), Gordon Guthrie, Greg Roadley, Sheryl Stivens, Matthew Hall, Ben Curry and Donna Field, as well as Ashburton District Councillor Neil Brown and Environment Canterbury Commissioner David Caygill.

Meeting information

Ashburton Zone Committee meeting
2:00pm, Tuesday 24 January 2012
Lowcliffe Hall, Corner Trig Pole and Isleworth Roads, Ashburton

Read the agenda (215 kB)

The announcement was made by Environment Minister Hon Dr Nick Smith at the Styx Mill EcoDrop in North Christchurch.

“With more than 6000 properties identified in the Red Zone in suburban Christchurch, it’s important that any hazardous household materials such as cleaning products, paint, LPG, and garden sprays are dealt with in a safe and environmentally-sound way,” Dr Smith says.

“We don’t want to see these hazardous materials being tipped down drains or buried just to create future environmental and health risks. This initiative means that residential red zone homeowners can easily and safely dispose of hazardous waste from their properties.”

The initiative is a joint venture between Environment Canterbury, the Christchurch City Council and the Waimakariri District Council.

The funding will go towards the:

• Preparation and distribution of household hazardous waste handling/disposal information to provide to affected households;
• Receipt, handling and disposal of household hazardous wastes at Council facilities; and
• Provision of a pre-demolition household hazardous waste clearance service for all residential red-zone properties due for removal.

Environment Canterbury Programme Manager Don Chittock says “This programme is designed to be proactive in encouraging residents leaving residential red zone properties to dispose of their unwanted household hazardous waste materials such as garden chemicals, paint and oil products in a safe and easy way. Best of all, it will be at no extra cost to the residents as existing facilities set up at Southbrook transfer station and Christchurch city EcoDrops will be used.

“All the councils and agencies involved appreciate the funding assistance of the Ministry of the Environment and the Waste Minimisation Fund in making this possible as the earthquake has created a situation where we need funding over and above our councils’ normal funding levels.”

Residents will be provided with more details on the options available as soon as possible, Mr Chittock says.

The initiative will be implemented in three phases, the key objectives of which include:

• To achieve maximum removal of household hazardous wastes from Red-zoned properties, prior to removal.
• To minimise the potential for harmful effects arising from disposal of household hazardous waste in the residential Red-zone.
• To encourage the residents of Red-zoned properties to dispose of their household hazardous waste in an appropriate manner and encourage long-term behaviour changes.
• To utilise existing Council infrastructure and systems, where available, to collect and dispose of household hazardous waste.
• To liaise with the residents of Red-zoned properties and achieve all objectives in a manner sensitive to the current situation.

The project was chosen for financial support by the Hurunui-Waiau Water Management Zone Committee as part of its Immediate Steps biodiversity funding programme.

The project also received financial support from Environment Canterbury’s Environment Enhancement Fund and the QEII National Trust.

Environment Canterbury Biodiversity Officer Dr Jean-Marie Tompkins said the fencing will allow an area of native bush in the riparian margin to recover to its full ecological potential. This will provide a buffer which will protect this lowland stream from the effects of farming activities on adjacent land.

“As a result of this project, a large portion of Dawn Creek and its associated flora and fauna is now physically protected from livestock.

“The four party funding partnership has allowed the boundary fence to be completed to a standard that will provide the long term security required for optimal recovery of riparian bush and the stream,” said Dr Jean-Marie Tompkins.

The Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee selected the project to receive $15,000 from its pool of $100,000 to support Year 1 biodiversity projects in the zone.

The landowner also made a significant contribution towards the cost of the fencing and retains responsibility for general pest and weed control in the area.

Through the Immediate Steps programme, $2 million is available each year for protecting and restoring biodiversity in and around freshwater habitats. Of this, two thirds comes from Environment Canterbury rates, and one third comes from land owner contributions.

The ‘Immediate Steps’ biodiversity programme was launched in 2010 as part of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. It provides $10 million for protection and restoration projects in Canterbury over five years.

The project was chosen for financial support by the Hurunui-Waiau Water Management Zone Committee as part of its Immediate Steps biodiversity funding programme.

Little Lake Mason is in the ecologically important Sumner Lakes/ Hoku Kura area which contains habitats including wetlands and red, silver and mountain beech forests. The area is considered to be a cultural priority for biodiversity protection, in accordance with the principle of Ki Uta Ki Tai – from mountains to the sea- due to it being the starting point of the catchment.

Environment Canterbury Biodiversity Officer, Jean-Marie Tompkins said that Little Lake Mason provides excellent habitat for invertebrates and native fish.

“The Lake is surrounded by pastoral land leased for light cattle grazing. The biodiversity value of the lake was at risk due to stock having an adverse impact on the lake’s margin and its water quality.

“The fencing around the lake will ensure stock are excluded and will allow the lake margin to recover its riparian vegetation, which reduces the amount of sediment entering the lake and provides cover for fish species.

“Fish and Game staff will undertake annual field work in the area and the landowner will maintain the fence,” said Jean-Marie Tompkins.

The Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee selected the project to receive $25,000 from its pool of $100,000 to support Year 1 biodiversity projects in the zone.

The landowner contributed significantly to the project and Fish and Game also provided logistical support.

Through the Immediate Steps programme, $2 million is available each year for protecting and restoring biodiversity in and around freshwater habitats. Of this, two thirds comes from Environment Canterbury rates, and one third comes from land owner contributions.

The ‘Immediate Steps’ biodiversity programme was launched in 2010 as part of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. It provides $10 million for protection and restoration projects in Canterbury over five years.

At the meeting the main focus for the zone committee will be on finalising its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

Committee members have been working for months to understand water issues in the zone with the goal of developing a programme of recommendations to councils on how to manage the region’s water to enable present and future generations the greatest social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

The committee held a series of public meetings in mid-November to get local feedback on the priorities for water management in the zone. More than 60 people attended the meetings to share their experiences and knowledge, and provide feedback on the issues facing the region’s water resource.

These priorities, along with the community feedback, have guided the committee as it develops its recommendations for water management which will be detailed in its draft ZIP.

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

Once finalised, the community will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the draft ZIP before it is submitted to councils. The committee expects to be calling for feedback on its draft ZIP in February 2012.

Since the Upper Waitaki Zone Committee was formed in February 2011 it has had briefings from technical experts, a number of field trips around the district, and meetings with stakeholders and community members to gauge the range of views on water management.

The Committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie District councils. Zone committee meetings are open to the public and community members are encouraged to attend.

Meeting information

Upper Waitaki Zone Committee meeting
Thursday 19 January 2012 at 12.00 pm
Conference Room at the Mackenzie Country Inn, 2 Wairepo Road, Twizel.

Read the agenda (3.5 MB)

The main focus for the committee at this month’s meeting is to finalise its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

Committee members have been working for months to understand water issues in the zone with the goal of developing a programme of recommendations to councils on how to manage the region’s water to enable present and future generations the greatest social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

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

The committee hopes to be able to release the draft ZIP for public feedback in late January. Members of the public will be invited to attend community meetings around the zone in February and submit feedback on-line.

In mid-October the committee held a first round of public meetings to get community feedback on priorities for water management in the zone. The feedback from these meetings helped guide the draft ZIP.

At this month’s meeting the committee will also receive an update on Orari Flow Plan from Senior Environment Canterbury Planner Joanne Stapleton.

Following the zone committee meeting, members will go on a field trip to the Orari and Opihi lowland wetlands, which are high in biodiversity value. The committee is keen to learn more about wetlands and how they can be protected and enhanced.

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 information

Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee meeting
Commencing at 1pm on Thursday 19 January 2012
Meeting Room, Fish and Game Council , 32 Richard Pearse Drive, Temuka

Read the agenda (224 kb)

Despite the decision Environment Canterbury and Red Bus have worked closely together to ensure the impact on Metro passengers is minimal.

The changes to be introduced on 4 February will mean that while the 10 Airport - Cashmere service will cease, coverage will be provided by changes made to existing Environment Canterbury contracted services. The 29 Airport - City via Fendalton service (while no longer a commercial service) will continue as a contracted service with slight changes to the route.  The 3 Airport-Sumner via Avonhead service is unaffected by the changes.

A commercial service is one that is operated by a bus company without any subsidy or funding from Environment Canterbury. Apart from the 29 Airport – City via Fendalton and 10 Airport - Cashmere, all other Metro services in Christchurch are contracted by Environment Canterbury, and the operator receives public funding to assist with the cost of their operation.

The significant reduction in passenger numbers since the 2011 earthquakes has meant that the 29 Airport – City via Fendalton and 10 Airport - Cashmere services are no longer commercially viable despite the best endeavours of Red Bus to improve passenger numbers.

Red Bus Chief Executive Paul McNoe says that it is with real regret that Red Bus is ending its commercial services to Christchurch International Airport. It is a decision that has not been taken lightly.

“As a result of patronage losses after the earthquakes in 2011 the 29 Airport – City via Fendalton and 10 Airport -  Cashmere services are no longer commercially viable. It has been a difficult decision to make considering Red Bus’s long standing commitment to our customers on these services.

“We are however pleased that our positive discussions with Environment Canterbury and the revised service arrangements will mean that our customers will not be adversely affected by the changes,” he says.

Environment Canterbury Director Operations Wayne Holton-Jeffreys says that the changes to be introduced will make sure that all passengers continue to have a convenient bus service at no additional cost to the community.

“2011 was an extremely difficult year for public transport in Christchurch and while more people are again travelling by Metro, it is unrealistic to expect that any operator can continue to operate non subsidised urban services in the current environment,” he says.

As part of the changes the 16 Belfast service which has suffered significant passenger loss due to the earthquakes will cease operating. Coverage will again be provided by existing contracted services.

For the detailed changes to the services please visit www.metroinfo.co.nz or call metroinfo on 366 88 55 Monday to Saturday 7am – 9pm and Sunday 9am – 7pm or use Facebook metroinfo.

Blair Lloyd knowingly discharged dairy effluent into a waterway that flows into Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere over a period of four days. The court was advised that the discharge would cumulatively compromise the values of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere and the strategies to improve and rehabilitate the natural character of the Lake.

Mr Lloyd was charged with discharging dairy effluent to land via a travelling irrigator and by means of an open pipe, which he disconnected from the blocked irrigator and placed under trees nearby.

Judge Kellar noted that some 44,360 litres of diluted effluent discharged in the four days before it was found by Environment Canterbury staff.

In sentencing Mr Lloyd, Judge Paul Kellar said that this case was one of the worst of its kind and believed it to be the largest effluent discharge breach ever before a court in Canterbury. He ruled that it was very deliberate offending and the extent of the discharge was likely to cause significant harm to the environment.

Judge Kellar said that had electronic monitoring been available in the area where Mr Lloyd was he would have been sentenced to this.

Judge Kellar said that Mr Lloyd discovered a fault but then continued to knowingly discharge effluent in an area with saturated soils and with ground water springs present. Judge Kellar said Mr Lloyd needed to be held accountable and acknowledge the harm caused to the community, and the sentence needed to deter others from committing a similar offence.

Environment Canterbury Resource Management Director Kim Drummond said the travelling irrigator was found to have been operating in breach of the farm’s consent.

“A travelling irrigator that was running did not have resource consent to discharge effluent to land where it was operating when Environment Canterbury staff visited in 2010.

“It was also discovered that the pipe supplying the irrigator with effluent had been disconnected and was discharging effluent into a grove of trees.

“We hope the sentence handed down by Judge Kellar will act as a deterrent to others and reaffirm the importance of taking all practicable steps to protect the natural environment,” he said.

The remaining decisions have been drafted but are not ready for release due to a variety of factors including the quality of evidence received in support of these applications. These details are outlined in the 33rd Minute of Commissioners (pdf 43 kB).

The remaining decisions will be issued as soon as possible in the New Year.

All nine of the latest water consent applications have been granted by the hearing commissioners. The decisions should be read in combination with the hearing commissioner’s Part A decision, which sets out their findings and approaches to various catchment wide issues that are common to multiple applications.

The Part A decisions released on 23 November can be found here.

The hearing commissioners considered water quality to be the most critical issue in considering whether to grant or decline consents for water takes. The impact of approving these applicants on water quality was determined to be minimal or able to be mitigated.

Tangata Whenua values and economic effects were also taken in to account by the hearing commissioners.

The latest decisions, released today (23 December) are available here.

Background on the Upper Waitaki consents decisions

There were 33 consent applicants in the Upper Waitaki hearing with 109 consent applications being processed under the Resource Management Act (the provisions of the Environment Canterbury Act 2010 have no effect on this process).

Sixty of the applications were for water-takes, 29 for land-use, and 20 for water discharge. The water-take applications relate to around 18,000 ha of irrigable land, and the land-use and discharge applications relate to irrigation activities.

One application (Munro) for a minor water permit which was part of the group hearing was granted in September 2011 ahead of the other decisions. This decision has been appealed.

The applications for the Upper Waitaki Community Irrigation Scheme were heard by the same panel of independent commissioners but were not part of the Upper Waitaki group hearing process. These consents were granted in September 2011 for five years and have been appealed to the Environment Court.

The panel of independent commissioners comprised:

• Paul Rogers (chair, legal expertise)
• Mike Bowden (hydrology)
• Jim Cooke (water quality expertise)
• Edward Ellison (cultural expertise)

A brief timeline

The Upper Waitaki consent hearing began in September 2009 and was adjourned in April 2010. The subsequent work on consent conditions involved the applicants, submitters and Environment Canterbury officers. The hearing commissioners have been working on a decision since February 2011.

Around 60 of the consents included in the Upper Waitaki process date from applications made before 2004. In late 2003 all water permit applications in the Waitaki catchment were called in, including Meridian Energy’s Project Aqua.

In 2004 the Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Act was passed to enable the development of a water plan which became operative in July 2006.

Environment Canterbury was then able to begin reprocessing consents once they had been re-notified. Applications for Lower Waitaki consents were processed first. 

The fishing vessel Pacinui was refuelling its main engine when 171 litres of light fuel oil were discharged into the harbour from the starboard side of the ship.

Juham Industries Co Ltd chartered and managed the Pacinui, Sanford Limited sub-chartered the vessel and PPMH Korea Inc is the owner of the vessel.

After 1800 litres of light fuel oil had been pumped into the vessel, the engineer on board was spotted waving his arms to raise the alarm. The fuel supply was stopped immediately and it was found that fuel oil had entered the water of the harbour.

A quantity of ECOLAB Degresol 201 was poured into the water by the crew of the vessel in an attempt to disperse the oil. This was contrary to instructions, because this product is not approved by Maritime New Zealand for dispersing oil in New Zealand waters.

Staff then pulled absorbent booms and equipment from the Sanford response trailer. The oil was 90 percent contained within absorbent booms and by absorbent pads and pillows.

In passing judgement, Judge P R Kellar recognised that considerable efforts were undertaken by a number of people to contain the spill and that the ship’s management was co-operative throughout the investigation. The effects of human error were mitigated as a result of the alarm raised by a lookout and by the prompt, detailed attention to the clean-up.

However, Judge Kellar also noted that had staff followed correct procedures, the spill would not have occurred.

Environment Canterbury Resource Management Director Kim Drummond said that threats to Canterbury’s marine life and coastal waters are taken very seriously.

“The environment affected by an oil spill such as this go beyond what can be seen on the surface. The oil can have significant detrimental effects on the ecology and the recreational values of the foreshore and seabed within the harbour. Clean-ups can be very costly, time-consuming and residual effects can remain in the local environment for some time. In this case we were fortunate and many of the actions taken were commendable, but the situation could easily have been much more serious.

“International charterers, NZ sub-charterers as well as the vessel owners all have responsibilities to ensure environmentally safe procedures are followed whenever their vessels are in NZ waters.”