MEDIA ADVISORY
15 April 2013

Upper Waitaki Zone Committee meeting

The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee will meet for its regular monthly meeting in Twizel on Friday, 19 April.

The committee will begin the meeting with a report from the representative on the Regional Committee, before inviting members of the public in attendance to contribute to the meeting if they wish.

Following this, the committee will focus on the progress being made to implement the recommendations made in its Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) for water management.

The update will specifically focus on braided rivers, audited self-management farm plans, and biodiversity.

The committee will also be asked to consider granting Immediate Steps biodiversity funding to a fencing project to protect a local wetland.

To date around $90,000 of Immediate Steps funding has been allocated by the zone committee. There is still significant funding available for local biodiversity projects. Application forms can be found by searching ‘Immediate Steps’ at www.ecan.govt.nz.

The Immediate Steps programme is a key component of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS). The programme aims for the protection of ecosystems and habitats to conserve indigenous freshwater diversity. Zone Committees decide the priorities for each zone and distribute the funding, which also requires a third party contribution.

A key focus for the committee at the meeting will also be on beginning the process of developing water quality limits as part of sub-regional planning processes.

Now the committee’s ZIP has been finalised and endorsed by councils, it is focussed on the on-the-ground implementation activities, and particularly, sub-regional planning processes for the zone.

The sub-regional chapter will supersede the default water quality limits in Environment Canterbury’s proposed Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) for the Upper Waitaki.

The committee will finish the meeting with an update on consents in the zone, followed by a cultural mapping session of Waitaki sites of significance by committee member Wayne Tipa.

The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie District councils. Zone committee meetings are open to the public and community members are encouraged to attend.

Meeting information

Upper Waitaki Zone Committee meeting
9:30am, Friday, 19 April
Mackenzie Country Inn, Twizel

Link to agenda:
http://ecan.govt.nz/publications/Council/upper-waitaki-meeting-190413.pdf

ENDS

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