Frequently Asked Questions

How can I be kept informed about the Canterbury Water Management Strategy?

For updates about the development of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy please join the mailing list by:

How do I know contributing to the implementation of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy will make a difference?

The Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act refers specifically to the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

It states that decisions made using the powers in the Act must have regard to the vision and principles of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. Currently nominations for Regional Committee and Water Management Zone Committees are being sought (except for Hurunui for which nominations have closed already).

People with an interest in water management in the remaining districts are being urged to put their names forward for Zone Committees. Expressions of interest must be received on the appropriate form (downloadable from the website).

How is the water use managed currently?

Water management has been governed by the Resource Management Act 1991(RMA) of which an integral part is set up to prevent or mitigate adverse effects on water resources through development. Resource consents are usually issued by the Canterbury Regional Council. The RMA gives stakeholders the opportunity to submit on development proposals.

However the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act has transferred decisions over water management to temporary commissioners. While the act refers specifically to the Canterbury Water Management Strategy several significant changes have been made:

  • The act refers specifically to the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.
  • The right to appeal to the Environment Court has been abolished.
  • Future Water Conservation Orders (WCOs) will be decided on by the commissioners.
  • Hurunui Water Conservation Order has been revoked and new submissions will be sought. Only previous submitters will be able to submit.
  • Elected regional representation on Canterbury Water Management Strategy regional and zone committees has been removed.

How will the Canterbury Water Management Strategy be implemented?

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) will be implemented through a Regional Committee and up to 10 Water Management Zone Committees.

The water executive will work on the day-to-day implementation of the strategy including establishing and working with Zone and the Regional Committees.

What are the Canterbury Water Management Strategy targets?

The targets are an agreed way to measure progress in achieving the vision of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. The targets include a set of goals applying from 2010 that reflect the fundamental principles in the strategy. Targets are then set for 2015, 2020 and 2040 to provide a set of long-term environment, social, economic and cultural markers reflecting a sustainable development approach. Targets will be reviewed every three years.

The following targets have been developed:

  1. Ecosystem health/biodiversity
  2. Natural character of braided rivers
  3. Kaitiakitanga
  4. Drinking water
  5. Recreational and amenity opportunities
  6. Water-use efficiency
  7. Irrigated land area
  8. Energy security and efficiency
  9. Regional and national economies
  10. Environmental limit

What are the key points included in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy?

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy includes a number of key points that have been proposed as a way for Canterbury to manage it's water resource in the best possible way. The implementation of some of the key points is well underway. These include:

  • Integrated Management
    A total solution will involve integrated management both horizontally across all of Canterbury, and vertically from the locality through to Central Government. This section outlines the proposed structure. At the locality level 10 water management “zones” are envisaged. Each is sufficiently large to enable the management of abstraction from surface and groundwater systems to be integrated with the management of the irrigated areas where the water is used.
  • Implementation programmes
    Implementation programmes will be developed for each zone and at the regional level. Central government, Ngāi Tahu as tangata whenua, and all relevant stakeholders will be involved in developing the programmes. The general public will also be encouraged to influence the development of these programmes.
  • Water governance structure
    At local level a Zone Water Management Committee is being established for each zone to co-ordinate the development of the zone implementation programme. A Regional Water Management Committee is being established to handle issues that are common across the region or cannot be managed satisfactorily at zone level. There is also a need for national tripartite forum to address issues that are unlikely to be resolved by the zone and regional committees.
  • Water Executive
    An executive body has been established to manage the implementation programmes on a day to day basis. The executive is an active facilitator.
  • Water infrastructure and services entity
    Consideration is being given to setting up a water entity under the auspices of the Canterbury local authorities. Designing, building, financing and operating the larger elements of the regional water storage and distribution system, this could be a council controlled organisation with a 50/50 joint venture with a private investor.
  • Legislative implications
    The Resource Management Act (RMA) will continue to apply, with individual water consent applications, appropriate conditions, and compliance action remaining key features. It is not clear at this stage whether amendments to the RMA will be needed to give effect to this new regime.

What are the next steps for the Canterbury Water Management Strategy after it has been launched?

In November 2009, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum released the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) Strategic Framework. Three key people have been appointed to the Water Executive, the body responsible for managing zone and regional implementation programmes on a day-to-day basis.

David Horn is the Director of the Water Executive.

The Zone Facilitators are Dr Barbara Nicholas and Ian Whitehouse.

Currently nominations for Regional Committee and Water Management Zone Committees are being sought (except for Hurunui for which nominations have closed already). People with an interest in water management in the remaining districts are being urged to put their names forward for Zone Committees. A series of public meetings will be held to give potential applicants the opportunity to hear about what is involved, as well as ask questions about the role of the zone water management committee, the Regional Committee, the Water Executive and other aspects of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. Expressions of interest must be received on the appropriate form (downloadable from the website).

What happens next with the Canterbury Water Management Strategy?

A Regional Committee and up to 10 Water Management Zone Committees are being formed across Canterbury. The Regional Committee will be established in the first half of 2010.

An update to the CWMS will be prepared late this year.

What is the Canterbury Mayoral Forum and who is in it?

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum was formed to adopt a Canterbury Region wide approach to identifying opportunities and solve problems relating to a range of issues of mutual concern. It consists of elected Mayors of the region, the chair of Environment Canterbury, and the chief executives of local government in Canterbury. The Christchurch City Mayor Bob Parker is the chair.

What is the Canterbury Water Management Strategy?

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum is leading development of a comprehensive water management strategy for the region. The Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) has been developed over the past six years to address the issues around water in Canterbury through an extensive consultation process with stakeholders and the public. These issues include the declining health of both surface water and groundwater, an ongoing loss of cultural value and recreational opportunities, as well as the declining availability and reliability of water for agricultural and energy uses.

The CWMS establishes a collaborative framework for addressing these issues to enable present and future generations to gain the greatest social, economic, recreational and cultural benefits from Canterbury’s water resources within an environmentally sustainable framework.

What is the purpose of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy steering group and who is on it?

The steering group has been tasked by the Mayoral Forum to oversee the preparation of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS), the public and stakeholder consultation process and to recommend a preferred strategy to the Mayoral Forum.

In November 2009, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum released the CWMS Strategic Framework.

What is the vision of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy?

The vision of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy is “to gain the greatest cultural, economic, environmental, recreational and social benefits from our water resources within a sustainable framework both now and for future generations.”

Why has the Canterbury Water Management Strategy been developed?

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy originally was initiated to address concerns of the farming industry following the droughts of the 1990s.

Despite considerable effort and provision of legislation Canterbury’s precious water resources have over the past 20 years become increasingly under pressure from water abstraction, pollution, land-use intensification and change and biodiversity decline. For example currently only 31% of lowland streams are graded with fair, good or very good ecological health. This has amounted to an unsustainable situation. In addition decision-making has become increasingly difficult with resource management decisions frequently ending up in court.

These situations had lead to increased interest in reviewing how water was managed in Canterbury and if a more comprehensive and consistent approach could be developed and implemented. This work formed the beginning of the development of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. The Strategic Framework had been finalised in November 2009 and can be viewed or downloaded at the Canterbury Water Management Strategy website.

Why is the Canterbury Water Management Strategy important?

Despite considerable effort and provision of legislation Canterbury’s precious water resources have over the past 20 years become increasingly under pressure from water abstraction, pollution, land-use intensification and change and biodiversity decline.

For example currently only 31% of lowland streams are graded with fair, good or very good ecological health. This has amounted to an unsustainable situation. In addition decision-making has become increasingly difficult with resource management decisions frequently ending up in court.

Will the Canterbury Water Management Strategy be binding and set in concrete?

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy is a guiding document and the vision and principles have been given statutory status in the Environment Canterbury Act 2010. Aspects of the strategy may be updated as new scientific information comes to hand.