14 June 2013

Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee meeting

The Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee will meet for the second time this month on 18 June to continue its work to develop water and quantity limits for the zone.

Once developed, the limits will become part of a Selwyn-Waihora sub-regional chapter in the proposed Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP), due to become operative in 2014.

Environment Canterbury’s proposed LWRP is one of a number of key mechanisms that will deliver the goals of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) – to deliver long-term social, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits from the water resource.

The plan will start with default limits for water use, water allocation, and nutrients, and then put the limits in a catchment context. The sub-catchment limits being developed by the zone committees, and involving a wide range of stakeholders, will then be reflected in the sub-regional sections of the proposed LWRP.

At the meeting the committee will begin its sub-regional planning discussions by reflecting on its recent Hikoi to the North Island. Committee members visited Taupo and Rotorua to understand how tangata whenua, local councils, and communities are addressing high phosphorus levels in their lakes, and how these lessons can be applied in the zone.

Next, the committee will focus its discussions on drinking water outcomes in the zone. The discussion will include a presentation from the Canterbury District Health Board on how nitrate levels can be addressed.

Following this, the committee will look at recommendations from a primary sector and Ngai Tahu working group on managing on-property nutrient loads, before going on to discuss work programme timings and community engagement.

At Tuesday’s meeting the committee will also be updated on the progress its Immediate Steps biodiversity funding programme. As part of the CWMS, the committee has a budget of $500,000 over five years to support community-led projects which enhance local freshwater biodiversity values.

To date, the committee has supported 18 projects to the value of around $280,000. At the meeting the committee will consider six new applications for funding support. To find out more, or apply for Immediate Steps funding, search Immediate Steps at www.ecan.govt.nz/canterburywater .

The Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee is a joint committee of the Christchurch City and Selwyn District councils, and Environment Canterbury. Meetings are typically held monthly on a Tuesday and are open to the public. Time is given at each meeting for attendees to contribute, should they wish.

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