The Hurunui Waiau water zone features Lake Sumner, the alpine Hurunui and Waiau rivers, the hill-fed Waipara and Conway rivers, as well as the north Pegasus Bay coastal wetlands and coastal hills. The vision for Hurunui Waiau is to foster a thriving natural environment, healthy waterways and a prospering zone.

Healthy rivers and productive land

Seize your chance to influence the long-term water management of the Hurunui Waiau water zone.

Hurunui and Waiau River Regional Plan

The plan promotes the sustainable management of water in the Hurunui, Waiau and Jed river catchments.

Meet your zone representatives

Find out who your water zone committee members are and meet your on-the-ground zone delivery team.

News and events

Check out the latest stories, videos and newsletters from your zone.

Upcoming meetings and agendas

Find out when your zone's next meeting is and read the agenda.

Information for farmers

Visit the Good Management Practice (GMP) website to find zone-specific farming information.

Your natural environment

Discover the natural environment in the Hurunui Waiau water zone.

Got a question? Want regular updates?

Sign up for newsletters and other important updates and ask a question using our online form.

Biodiversity funding

Find out how to apply for funding for biodiversity projects in your area.

View agendas and meeting papers

Use our Document Library to find water zone committee agendas and meeting papers.

Find presentations and reports from meetings

Read the latest presentations and reports from meetings

What does the Hurunui Waiau water zone committee do?

The committee work with Environment Canterbury on-the-ground teams and other Canterbury Water Management Strategy partners to implement community-driven water management work programmes. This includes making decisions on water management at the catchment scale, such as water allocation and nutrient levels. To sign up for more information, click here.

What are we aiming to achieve by 2020?

The zone committee has worked with the community to agree on several priority areas for implementing water management in the zone over the next five years. Use the drop-down menus below to see how we are getting on or download and read the 2020 delivery outcomes and milestones here.

Farming at Good Management Practice (GMP)
Hurunui Waiau zone farmers are operating at Good Management Practice (GMP) levels or better
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Hurunui Waiau plan change/sub-regional planning
Widely-supported Hurunui Waiau sub-regional plan in place, which supports economic development while maintaining and/or enhancing cultural and environmental values
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Integrated water infrastructure — irrigation and water storage 
Widely-supported integrated water infrastructure solution agreed on for the Hurunui, Waiau and Waipara Rivers and in process of implementation
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Biodiversity
Maintaining and, where possible, enhancing ecosystem health including maintaining indigenous biodiversity values in priority areas, such as braided river ecosystems, North Pegasus Bay coastal wetlands, coastal hills from Conway Flat to Waiau rivermouth, and significant wetlands
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Community engagement
Hurunui Waiau zone community feels well informed and widely engaged in zone activities; aquatic recreation, tourist and amenity values in priority locations are maintained and, where possible, improved
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Recreation
A sustainable supply of water that meets the needs of present and future domestic and agricultural users and complies with New Zealand Drinking Water Standards in an affordable and responsible manner
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Drinking water
A sustainable supply of water that meets the needs of present and future domestic and agricultural users and complies with New Zealand Drinking Water Standards in an affordable and responsible manner
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Mahinga kai
Work with rūnanga to develop outcome statement and milestones in relation to enhancing mahinga kai
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving
Braided rivers 
Natural character is maintained on active braided river beds in the zone
Not Started | Started | Progress | Good Progress | Achieving

Zone Implementation Programmes

The Hurunui Waiau water zone committee was the first water management committee to be established with its first meeting in July 2010. It was also the first to produce its Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) in September 2011.

The ZIP includes recommendations on river flows and allocation, nutrient management including loads, major water storage. You can download the Hurunui Waiau ZIP using the button at the bottom of the page.

Many of the ZIP recommendations formed the basis for the Hurunui Waiau Rivers Regional Plan. The water management solutions package detailed in the ZIP will be updated as part of the Healthy Rivers – Productive Land project.