Adoptions and approvals at Canterbury Regional Council’s 600th meeting

Braided River Revival/Whakahaumanu Ngā Awa ā Pākihi 100-Year Strategy

Council adopted the Braided River Revival/Whakahaumanu Ngā Awa ā Pākihi 100-Year Strategy.

As a strategy, it’s a bold, long-term commitment outlining how we will work in and with rivers across Waitaha Canterbury.

This non-statutory strategy provides clear direction for our river-related work, aligned with our core responsibilities: environmental regulation and protection, protecting people and property from natural hazards, climate change action, and our partnership with Ngāi Tahu.

With 64 per cent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s braided rivers located in our region, these waterways are central to our region’s identity and hold multiple values — ecological, cultural, social, and economic.

The strategy promotes a whole-of-river approach that recognises the increasing pressures on our rivers from land use, invasive species, water abstraction and climate change and seeks to address these through coordinated, long-term action.

The Braided River Revival 100-Year Strategy also provides an overarching framework for related work ensuring it aligns with our long-term vision to restore the mauri of rivers, ki uta ki tai – from the mountains to the sea.

Gravel Management Strategy

Council adopted the Gravel Management Strategy 2025, a document shaped by wide-ranging input from Rūnanga partners, industry, government, and non-government stakeholders such as territorial authorities and local rivercare groups, and other interested parties.

The original Canterbury Regional Gravel Management Strategy was adopted in 2012 and provided the framework for managing the extraction of gravel from rivers across Canterbury. After three years of collaboration and careful consideration, we’ve completed a significant review of how we manage gravel extraction from rivers across Waitaha Canterbury.

Throughout the review, we looked closely at how to streamline the permissions process, whether current volume and duration limits are still fit for purpose, and how best to uphold river health, mana whenua values, and community resilience to flooding and erosion.

Key updates in the revised Strategy include:

• Defined outcomes for river-based gravel extraction.
• Continued use of the mixed permission model, with clearer decision-making criteria.
• A strong focus on limited, short-term gravel takes, prioritising extraction in areas where gravel build-up creates flood or erosion risks or affects community infrastructure.
• A newly developed framework that integrates river health and mana whenua values.
• Actions to support the multiple values our rivers deliver – from cultural and environmental to practical and protective.
• Clear research and assessment priorities to guide future work.

These changes ensure our approach is better aligned with both environmental outcomes and the needs of our communities – providing a more responsive, transparent, and effective gravel management system.

Regional Public Transport Plan

Council adopted the Regional Public Transport Plan (2025-35), which includes the vision for public transport in Waitaha and outlines key priority areas such as improving our environment, growing patronage, accessibility, innovation and technology, and affordability.

The plan also includes a new policy allowing passengers to travel with pets that will be under conditions specified in the Metro code of conduct. Council supported an amendment to the plan to permit small dogs on board as long as they are leashed and muzzled.

Staff will now work with partners on how the various conditions are applied. An implementation date and these specific rules for pet owners will be announced when ready.

Consultation on the draft plan received 800 submissions, with almost all submitters sharing their views on pets on public transport. Over half of submissions (60 per cent) were supportive of passengers bringing pets on public transport if this was done in a way that didn’t take up passenger seats and was safe and hygienic for other travellers.

South Canterbury public transport fare changes

Council approved fare changes for all South Canterbury Metro services, including MyWay by Metro, Timaru school services, and the Temuka-Timaru service.

MyWay adult fares will increase from $2.50 to $3.00, and school bus from $0.95 to $1.50, starting in January 2026.

The standard adult fare for the Temuka-Timaru service will rise from $4.10 to $4.50.

There haven’t been fare changes on these services for several years, with MyWay by Metro replacing fixed-route services in 2020 — marking a key difference from the Greater Christchurch network.

There are no changes to SuperGold cardholder concessions, free fares for children aged 0–4, or current fare capping rules.

These fare changes are in line with what was presented at the Public Transport Annual Plan 2025/26 workshops in late 2024 and follow the increases on the Greater Christchurch public transport network earlier in July.

Public Forum

Sabrina Luecht, trust manager at Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust, spoke to Council during the Public Forum to raise awareness of the current state of wildlife in Kaikōura. In particular, Sabrina spoke of the human impact on the precious ecosystem and the risk, not only to the natural environment, but to the tourism-centric Kaikōura economy. Luecht outlined coastal management and climate action as the most obvious ways to mitigate the problem.

Council agreed to accept the information and provide a response in due course.

Notice of Motion from Councillor Greg Byrnes

A Notice of Motion proposing that the Council agrees to support the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill was not carried.

Missed the meeting? Watch it back on our YouTube channel or check out the meeting agenda (PDF file, 39MB).