Newsletter - December 2008
Welcome to the latest update on the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. In this issue we will provide an overview of feedback from the final round of stakeholder workshops held in April/May and also give details of what will happen during the upcoming public consultation phase.
We're at the sharp end now
The Canterbury Water Management programme is fast approaching its final, intensive phase of consulting with the people of the region on options for ensuring our precious water resources are available to current and future generations.
The final round of stakeholder workshops was completed recently in Twizel, Timaru, Ashburton, Darfield, Christchurch and Culverden. These meetings were well attended and were invaluable in terms of the level of informed discussion and debate. Feedback has been utilised in refining the proposed approaches contained in the public consultation booklet: Creating a sustainable future for Canterbury water - have your say!
Two over-riding messages emerged from the workshops:
- People want change; and
- The way forward must be through a collaborative approach.
From environmentalists to agriculturalists we heard that the current situation is a "no win" and is unsustainable. Further, decision-making has become polarised across the board and litigation in the courts is becoming a first rather than a last resort. There is also a firmly held view that the current system governed by the Resource Management Act is too ad-hoc and is not working.
Having attended most of the workshops and having listened to all sides of the water debate, I believe more than ever that development and environmental protection can occur together. Of course it's going to require some give and take but the time has come where we need to listen to each other and work together in finding a solution to the region's water issues that will ultimately work in the best interests of everyone.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who took the time to attend the workshops and share your views. Your input has been invaluable in shaping the debate and we look forward to hearing more from you and to receiving your support and submissions during the upcoming public discussion round.
The Canterbury Mayoral Forum is totally committed to this project and to ensuring long-term sustainable water management for Canterbury. We are confident that we can reach agreement on a workable solution that will serve everyone's best interests. It's won't be simple and it won't be a quick fix but it will happen.
Bede O'Malley
Chair, CWMS Steering Group
Public consultation - milestone reached
We've reached the all- important Milestone 6 in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy programme: engaging with and seeking feedback from the people of the region.
Every household in Canterbury should have received a copy of the public discussion booklet in the last week. The booklet includes the fundamental principles, an outline of the four proposed approaches, some evaluative criteria to help guide thinking and a feedback and submission form.
This is a call to action for the Canterbury community. It is the opportunity for everyone in the community to engage with the real issues relating to the region's water.
This phase of the programme involves a series of public meetings to be held throughout the region from the 18 - 22nd of May (the booklet contains a list of dates, times and venues). Anyone can attend these meetings and make a submission. For those who wish to speak to their submission, hearings are scheduled for the first week in June.
An important note - if you want your submission heard, it needs to be received via email, the website www.canterburywater.org.nz or by mail to:
Freepost 1201
Canterbury Water Management Strategy
P O Box 345
Christchurch
by 5pm on Monday 25th May 2009.
The deadline for all other submissions is 5 June 2009.
Beyond Milestone 6
Once the public consultation is over, a draft strategy will be developed by the end of August. The final strategy will provide a far greater level of detail and could be any one of the proposed options or a combination of any or all of them.
After peer review and discussion with the Government, Ngāi Tahu and major stakeholders, the final strategy will be published in October 2009.