Plan Change 8 (PC8) – Proposed changes to water management in Canterbury
Plan Change 8 (PC8) proposes changes to water management in Canterbury, including amendments to water consents, wetland construction rules and infrastructure activities that intercept groundwater.
Key facts about Plan Change 8
- Water consents: Enables changes to how existing water consents are used (with conditions)
- Wetlands: Supports wetland construction for environmental and flood benefits
- Infrastructure: Removes barriers to infrastructure that intercepts groundwater
- Current plan stage: Submissions being reviewed
- Existing policies/rules: Until the proposed changes are operative, existing relevant policies and rules still apply
About the proposed plan changes
Submissions are open from 4 July to 4 August 2026 on three proposed plan changes to enable targeted changes in the use of water, and a reduction in regulatory barriers with respect to the construction, use, and maintenance of wetlands.
Documents for making a submission
Before making a submission, review the proposed plan changes and supporting information:
- Proposed Plan Change 8 to the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (PDF file, 593.29KB)
- Proposed Plan Change 2 to the Hurunui and Waiau Rivers Regional Plan (PDF file, 332.37KB)
- Proposed Plan Change 1 to the Waipara Catchment Environmental Flow and Water Allocation Plan (PDF file, 331.37KB)
- Section 32 Evaluation Report (PDF file, 4.1MB) - Explains why the proposed plan changes have been developed and assesses their costs, benefits and anticipated outcomes.
Timeline
Development: Plan Change 8 has been developed
Exemption granted: 8 April 2026
Council approval: 24 June 2026 – Council approved Plan Change 8 for public notification through the Freshwater Planning Process
Public notification: 4 July 2026
Submissions: Closed
Hearings: Not started
Decision: Not started
Appeals: Not started
Plan operative: Not started
What happens after submissions close?
After submissions close, an independent Chief Freshwater Commissioner will convene a panel to hear submissions and make recommendations on the proposed plan changes.
The regional council will consider the panel's recommendations and make a decision to accept or reject them. It must provide further evaluation reports for any rejected recommendations.
Background and development of PC8
Water-related changes to several regional plans are collectively known as PC8.
Papatipu Rūnanga provided input while PC8 was being scoped, and through two rounds of feedback. A shortlist of industry stakeholders, environmental agencies and some non-government organisations (NGOs) also had opportunities to provide feedback. The draft was further refined according to this collective input.
More on PC8, its development and rationale, can be found on pages 41-47 of the agenda for the December 10 Council meeting (PDF file, 1.67MB)