Canterbury Water Management Progress

Since the ‘Canterbury Water Management Strategy’ was put in place in November 2009 there has been a ‘sea change’ in water management in the Canterbury Region.  The ten Zone Committees covering the region, and the Regional Committee, have engaged with their constituent communities, been the beneficiaries of significant science, technical and economic expert advice and made recommendations for action to their local and regional government authorities.  All ten Zone Committees and the Regional Committee have published Implementation Programmes and those committees earliest in place are producing or have produced Implementation Programme Addenda.  Several of the latter now form the bases of the Sub-regional Sections of the latest statutory Land and Water Regional Plan whose policies and rules govern regional water management in Canterbury.  The change from water management prior to 2009 is very significant; the influence on nutrient and land management moves it much closer to ‘integrated catchment management’.  The closeness of the Strategy outcomes to the intent of the Budapest Water Summit Statement [see ‘News 21 October 2013’] is remarkable.
Sources: Many, including http://ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/canterburywater/Pages/default.aspx