Across Canterbury, flood protection and drainage works are carried out in dedicated rating districts. Management of rating districts is split over three geographical engineering areas: Northern, Central and Southern.
About the rating districts
Click on the area below to find out further information about your rating district and what is happening in these areas.
Northern district map
Current works in the area
View the current works in the Northern district.
Annual Works Plans
Northern rating district works plan - coming soon.
Central district map
The Central District covers the Halswell Drainage and Te Waihora to Ashburton Hinds Drainage Scheme. Each geographical area is broken down into specific rating districts. Your rates notice will tell you if you are a ratepayer of a river rating district.Current works in the area
- View the current works in the Central district.
Annual Works Plans
Central rating district works plan - coming soon.
Southern district map
The Southern District covers the Rangitata River to the Lower Waitaki River. Each geographical area is broken down into specific rating districts. Your rates notice will tell you if you are a ratepayer of a river rating district.
Current works in the area
- View the current works in the Southern district.
Annual Works Plans
Southern rating district works plan - coming soon.
River rating district liaison committees
Environment Canterbury manages 59 river and drainage rating districts, each doing works on specific parts of rivers or drainage networks.
Twenty-five of these are large enough to warrant representative river rating district liaison committees.
The committees are the voluntary eyes and ears on the ground for their local river flood and erosion protection and drainage works and influence the overall direction of flood and erosion protection and drainage works.
Committees meet once or twice a year to comment and advise on the state of the river and the proposed works and budget for the coming year. They have an influence on the targeted rates set for each river and the timing of significant works (although final decisions are made by Environment Canterbury).
The committees focus on whether their community has an adequate and appropriate level of safety, security and resilience from flooding and erosion or an adequate and appropriately resourced drainage network.
While committees occasionally discuss matters such as incorporating amenity or biodiversity objectives into erosion protection works, or the influence of water takes on the river rating district works, those issues are not their primary focus.
Rating district meetings
Check out our events calendar for details on all of our river rating district meetings including date, time and venue.