Ashburton Zone Committee focuses on water quality and efficiency

The Ashburton Zone Committee will meet on Tuesday, 22 September, to discuss local water management issues.

The committee will begin the meeting with an update from Environment Canterbury on nitrate levels in local groundwater. This follows a presentation from the Canterbury District Health Board at last month’s committee meeting on how it communicates with people living in areas where nitrates in groundwater may exceed safe drinking water standards.

Following this, the committee will receive a presentation from Irrigation NZ on its SMART Irrigation campaign to raise public awareness of the need to use water wisely on-farm and at home.

The committee will then receive an update on land and water consents in the zone and an update on the Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP).

The LWRP contains rules to improve water quality throughout Canterbury by controlling the leaching of nitrates from land-use activities in both rural and urban areas. Some parts of the LWRP will not yet be made operative as they are subject to unresolved appeals.

The Ashburton Zone Committee is a joint committee of the Ashburton District Council and Environment Canterbury. The Ashburton zone extends from the Rakaia River to the Rangitata River and includes Ashburton, Rakaia and Methven.

Meeting details

Ashburton Zone Committee Meeting

1:00pm, Tuesday, 22 September

Bradford Room, Ashburton Trust Event Centre, 211 Wills St, Ashburton

ENDS

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