Partnering for improved freshwater outcomes

To achieve this Level of Service, we will develop campaigns to improve landowner/community understanding of new national direction and Land and Water Regional Plan requirements.

How are we doing: The intensive winter grazing (IWG) and synthetic nitrogen fertiliser cap (N-Cap) campaigns are over halfway through, with N-Cap in its final year and IWG in year two of its three-year campaign.

To achieve this Level of Service, we will deliver programmes with the community to respond to significant emerging environmental issues.

How are we doing: A work programme is in progress at Ōtūwharekai Ashburton Lakes. Reports, research and input from multiple parties is providing greater understanding of what on-farm mitigation options are required to deliver the desired reduction in nutrient loss into the lakes. 

To achieve this Level of Service we will ensure Farm Environment Plan audits are completed and report on progress against the Aggregated Consent Entities work programme.

How are we doing: At the end of quarter two, approximately 22 per cent of of individual Farm Environment Plans have been audited. This is well on track for this time of year. The target for the year is to audit 25 per cent of all consented farms.  

We are taking a whole-of-organisation approach to develop a solution to enable Environment Canterbury to robustly monitor Nutrient Discharge consent conditions of Aggregated Consent Entities (ACE). This will improve compliance of 15 ACE consents, which in turn will improve outcomes for water quality.  

To achieve this Level of Service, we will review campaigns and implementation programmes to inform ongoing improvements and effectiveness.

How did we do: Two campaigns to be measured have been identified and work is underway on the review.

As part of this Level of Service we will:

• 11.1 Deliver work programmes for catchment-based partnership projects, with progress reported through the governance structures in place. 
• 11.2 Undertake a review of the outcomes achieved through the joint work programmes. 
• 11.3 Report on delivery of 10 priority projects.

How are we doing: Examples of catchment-based partnerships include the Te Waihora Co-Governance Arrangement, Whaka-Ora Healthy Harbour and Te Mōkihi in the Mackenzie Basin. We work towards the goal of being a Treaty Partner of excellence, by delivering operational programmes in partnership with ngā rūnanga and others.

In the Te Waihora catchment as part of the Whakaora Te Waikēkēwai project, landowner agreements and procurement plans have progressed to fence and install riparian planting along Te Waikēkēwai/ Waikēkēwai Stream, and a wetland design for Te Repo Papatahora was completed.

In the Whaka-Ora Healthy Harbour Programme, two years of funding and staff support for the Ki Uta Ki Tai sediment control and biodiversity enhancement of Foleys Creek is complete. A Whakaraupō mapping project has begun.

In the Te Mōkihi Programme, work has been undertaken in relation to consents for solar farming, renewing consents for the Waitaki hydroelectricity scheme, and freedom camping controls. The Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Group met in September. Issues with non-compliance are still having a significant impact on the environment and collaborative work has begun to address these.

The only joint work programme still in place is with Te Mana Ora.  We will undertake a brief review of this work programme - with Te Mana Ora - beginning February 2024 to report in May 2024. 

Planning is underway for the zone priority projects, and we have projects that are ongoing that the team are currently working on. A report on zone priority projects was provided to the October Water and Land Committee (PDF file, 2.5MB).