Targets

The CWMS has a set of fundamental principles and targets that provide guidance and a framework for integrated water management. They establish clear balanced objectives that the strategy will be striving to achieve in fulfilment of its desired outcome:

To enable present and future generations to gain the greatest social, economic, recreational and cultural benefits from our water resources within an environmentally sustainable framework.

The targets provide a measurement of progress and include a set of goals applying from 2010 that reflect the fundamental principles. Targets have been set for 2015, 2020 and 2040 to provide long-term markers that reflect a sustainable development approach.

Targets have been developed for:

Ecosystem health/biodiversity

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

FRESHWATER SPECIES, HABITAT QUALITY, ECOSYSTEMS
  • Actions implemented to correct ecosystem decline.

 
  • 80% of rivers/streams and lakes (other than lowland streams) with very good aquatic ecosystem health.

RIVER MOUTH AND COASTAL LAGOONS
  • Actions implemented to prevent further loss of ecosystem health.

 
  • Protection/restoration programmes on most ecologically significant river mouths or coastal lagoons.
  • Examples of thriving coastal lagoons in each zone.

INTERMONTANE BASIN AND PLAINS AQUATIC AND DRYLAND ECOSYSTEMS
  • Existing high quality of indigenous ecosystems maintained.

 
  • Maintain upland spring-fed streams and lakes in very good aquatic health (no decline from 2010).

LOWLAND STREAM ECOSYSTEMS
  • Best examples of lowland streams identified and prioritised for protection.
  • Ecological health of the best lowland streams protected and enhanced.
  • Improved ecosystems in at least another 10% of lowland streams.
  • Improved condition and water quality in at least 60% of lowland streams and lowland lakes.
  • Examples of thriving lowland or spring-fed ecosystems in each zone.
  • 100% of lowland and spring-fed streams with at least good aquatic ecosystem health or trending upward.

HIGH COUNTRY SPRING-FED FOOTHILL RIVERS / LAKES
  • Identify streams with declining ecosystem health, assess cause and develop action plan.
  • All foothill and high country rivers and/or lakes in good ecological health (or better) or showing an upward trend.

GENERAL
  • Prevent further loss of naturally occuring wetlands.
  • Protect all and restore at least two significant wetlands in each zone.
  • Implement remedial actions where there are inadequate environmental flows to meet ecosystem health / biodiversity outcomes .
  • Identify areas not meeting catchment load limits and implement actions to ensure no further enrichment.
  • Demonstrate in implementation programmes how land will be managed to achieve catchment load limits.
  • Understand emerging contaminant risks and target at risk areas.
  • Protect all existing unprotected wetlands.
  • Length of waterway with riparian management (for aquatic ecosystem protection) increased by 50% from 2010.
  • Progress towards environmental flow and catchment load limits.
  • Protect all wetlands.
  • Achieve nutrient efficiency targets on all new irrigated land and 100% of other rural properties (and properties within urban boundaries that apply nutrients over significant areas).
  • Achieve all environmental flow and catchment limits.
  • Understand emerging contaminant risks and target at risk areas.

IRRIGATED LAND
  • Achieve nutrient efficiency targets for the zone on all new irrigated land and 50% of other rural properties (and properties within urban boundaries that apply nutrients over significant areas).
  • Achieved nutrient efficiency targets for the zone on all new irrigated land and 80% of other land in major rural land uses and have 100% of rural properties (and properties within urban boundaries that apply nutrients over significant areas) working towards these targets.

TROUT & SALMON
  • Increasing annual trout spawning counts in identified important areas as an indicator of available habitat for salmonid and indigenous fish species.
  • No further reduction in the number and areas of existing salmon spawning sites.

WAIHORA/LAKE ELLESMERE AND TRIBUTARY STREAMS
  • Accelerate the riparian restoration and management programme.

NATIVE FISH
  • An upward trend in diversity and abundance of native fish populations.

Kaitiakitanga

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040
  • Involve Papatipu Runanga in the Immediate Steps restoration programme and priorities.
  • Formally recognise Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Freshwater Policy; work towards resolving Ngai Tahu policy issues:
    • Environmental flows that afford protection to instream values.
    • Direct discharge of point source contaminants to water.
    • The unnatural mixing of water sourced from different water bodies.
    • Address non point source pollution through a range of measures including regulatory control.
  • A report on the health of all Ngai Tahu nominated water bodies using Ngai Tahu Cultural Health Monitoring Tool.
  • Identified customary uses (current and potentially restored) for all waterways.
  • Iwi Management Plans in place for all zones.
  • Mahinga kai - traditional food and other resources and the areas that they are sourced from.
  • A formal co-governance arrangement (developed in partnership by Ngai Tahu, the Crown and Canterbury local government) for the active management of Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) and its catchment.
  • Increase abundance, access to, and use of mahinga kai.
  • Integrated Ki Uta Ki Tai environmental management philosophies (mountain to the sea) into zonal and regional management planning.

 

MARAE DRINKING WATER
  • Prevent further decline in the quality or quantity of water used as marae drinking water.

 
  • All marae with access to high quality drinking water.

 

WAHI TAONGA/MAHINGA KAI
  • Prevent further loss or degradation of Ngai Tahu nominated wahi taonga.
  • An active restoration programme in place on all degraded wahi taonga and mahinga kai waterways nominated by Ngai Tahu.

 
  • Protection, in accordance with Ngai Tahu values and practices, of wahi taonga and mahinga kai waterways.

CUSTOMARY VALUES

MANA

KAITIAKITANGA
  • Increase understanding of the customary values and uses associated with specific water bodies.
  • Institutional capability within local government to adequately recognise and provide for the principle of kaitiakitanga in water management.
  • Implement protocols for the recognition and exercise of mana, including kaitiakitanga, within the Ngai Tahu rohe.

 
  • Kaitiakitanga as a normalised and an integrated practice of water management.

Drinking Water

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

DRINKING WATER
  • For communities that currently have access to untreated and safe drinking water, implement actions to ensure source water quality remains high enough to meet current New Zealand Drinking Water Standards without treatment.
  • Prevent further decline in source water quality for communities that currently have to treat drinking water, such that this requires increased level of treatment or monitoring requirements.

 
  • An increase in the percentage of the population supplied with water that meets New Zealand Drinking Water Standards.
  • Nitrate levels in community drinking wells are below the maximum allowable value for drinking water.

CONTAMINANT RISKS
  • No new activities in drinking water catchments that reduce access to sufficient drinking water supplies.
  • Understand emerging contaminant risks and target at risk areas with a remedial programme.
  • Understand emerging contaminant risks and target at risk areas with a remedial programme.
  • Understand emerging contaminant risks and target at risk areas with a remedial programme.

NITRATE LOADS

 
  • Set catchment load limits for nitrates consistent with drinking water quality targets for each zone.
  • Identify priority areas where targets are not met.
  • Implement actions to ensure no further enrichment.
  • Demonstrate in implementation programmes how land will be managed to achieve catchment load limits.
  • Achieve nutrient efficiency targets on all new irrigated land and 80% of other land in major rural land uses, and 100% of rural properties working towards these targets (including properties within urban boundaries that apply nutrients over significant areas).
  • Achieve a demonstrable decrease in nitrate concentrations in shallow groundwater in priority areas.
  • Average annual nitrate levels in all groundwater wells is below 50% of maximum allowable value for drinking water.
  • Achieve nutrient efficiency targets on all new irrigated land and 100% of other rural properties (and properties within urban boundaries that apply nutrients over significant areas).

Recreation & Amenity

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
  • Maintain the existing diversity and quality of water-based recreational sites, opportunities and experiences.
  • A positive trend in the availability and/or quality of recreational opportunities in each zone.
  • An increase in freshwater angler numbers or catch rate over a five year average.
  • Implement remedial actions where environmental flows are not met or require change to meet recreational outcomes.
  • A positive trend in the availability and/or quality of recreational opportunities in each zone.
  • Make progress towards achieving environmental flows.
  • Restored fishing opportunities in most lowland streams in each water management zone.
  • Restored at least one major fresh water recreational opportunity in each zone that is not currently available in 2010.
  • Achieve all environmental flows.

CONTACT RECREATION

 
  • At least 80% of river bathing sites graded as suitable for contact recreation.
  • Of the lakes and rivers used for contact recreation, an increase in the percentage that meet recreational water quality guidelines.

 

Environmental Limits

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

GENERAL ENVIRONMENT FLOWS AND WATER LEVELS
  • Incorporating the fundamental principles and approach of the Strategy in the water quantity and quality part of the Regional Policy Statement.
  • Regional plans must give effect to the RPS.
  • Both regional and local councils will be asked to approve implementation programmes before they are finalised. This will reduce potential for development of options that conflict with council policy.
  • Regional and zone committees can recommend changes to regional or district plans for consideration by councils.
  • Set environmental flows for surface streams, rivers and groundwater consistent with the fundamental principles of the CWMS, such that:
    • Flows are consistent with ecosystem health and biodiversity targets.
    • For all braided rivers include flood peaks, flow variability, flood periodicity, and channel forming flows to maintain their braided character and ecosystems.
    • Flows afford protection to instream values identified in Ngai Tahu policies.
    • Flows are consistent with the recreational uses of the water body.
    • All the target areas of the Strategy are considered.
  • Establish and begin to implement a programme to apply environmental flows to existing consents.
  • Review of environmental flows and catchment load limits in response to changing monitoring information, new understanding and technologies, and if requested by regional and zone committees.
  • Review of environmental flow and catchment load limits in response to changing monitoring information, new understanding and technologies, and if requested by regional and zone committees.

CATCHMENT LOAD LIMITS OR WATER QUALITY OUTCOMES

 
  • Set catchment load limits for nutrients for each water management zone consistent with the fundamental principles of the Strategy, such that:
    • Limits are consistent with ecosystem health, drinking water and biodiversity targets.
    • Limits afford protection to instream values identified in Ngai Tahu policies.
    • Limits are consistent with the recreational uses of the water body; and consider all the target areas of the Strategy.
  • Establish and begin to implement a programme to review existing consents where such reviews are necessary in order to achieve catchment load limits.
  • Environmental flow and catchment load limits are achieved in all waterbodies.

Indicators of Regional and National Economies

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

PRODUCTION / ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION
  • No decline in the contribution water makes to Canterbury economy as measured through value added economic impact.
  • Any assessments of regional economic value factor in externalities (e.g. water quality treatment costs, climate change emissions, changed recreational values) as well as the cost of environmental repair and restoration.
  • Increase the value and emplyment added per unit of water.
  • Increased production through the direct application of water to agriculture contributes an additional $400 million per annum value added to the Canterbury economy.
    • This is an indicative target and will be revised as the regional infrastructure plan is evaluated, designed and costed.
  • Measures in place to assess the economic wealth benefits of freshwater biodiversity (and other ecosystem services) and recreational use of water.
  • Increased production through the direct application of water to agriculture contributes an additional $1.7 billion per annum value added to the Canterbury economy.
    • This is an indicative target and will be revised as the regional infrastructure plan is evaluated, designed and costed.
  • Recognised and reported on the employment benefits (direct and indirect) resulting from the Strategy.
  • Increased Canterbury’s contribution to national GDP from 15% to 20%, of which 2% is attributable to increased production and better water management.
  • A demonstrable increase in economic wealth due to biodiversity protection and improvement, and increased recreational use of water resulting from implementation of the CWMS.
  • Maintain unemployment at less than 4% through the direct and indirect economic impact of water use.

Energy Security and Efficiency

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

GENERAL
  • Maintain Canterbury’s existing contribution to New Zealand’s security of electricity supply.
  • Seek opportunities – as part of the design and planning of new infrastructure – to reduce electricity demand for water use, to provide for multiple uses, and to factor generation into existing irrigation infrastructure.
  • Identify and implement opportunities to reduce electricity demand for water use.
  • Start projects to generate electricity from existing irrigation infrastructure.
  • Increase the productivity per unit of electricity per hectare for irrigation, and equivalent measures in other areas.
  • Factor the efficient use of electricity in all irrigation infrastructure.
  • Reduce the energy used per hectare for irrigation, compared to the 2010/11 season.
  • Generate at least 40-45% of the power used for irrigation from irrigation infrastructure (including multi-use hydroelectric generation and irrigation systems) and other renewable on-farm sources.
  • Maintain or increase Canterbury’s contribution to New Zealand’s security of electricity supply.

Irrigated Land Area

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

GENERAL
  • Regional storage plan and zone implementation programmes.
  • More definite, location-specific knowledge on the potential for efficiency improvements.
  • Testing of infrastructure proposals against the fundamental principles.
  • Setting of environmental limits.
  • Refining of financial viability and funding mechanisms.
  • No reduction in irrigated land and overall reliability.
  • Design, timetable, cost and stage a system of regionally distributed water infrastructure for the storage and distribution of reliable water for all irrigated land, aligned with the Strategy’s principles and targets.
  • Decide mechanisms for funding infrastructure and the Strategy.
  • Start on infrastructure (or reconfiguring existing consents) to facilitate efficiency improvements (linked to the regional storage plan).
  • Specify for each zone the infrastructure requirements.
  • Increase the area of irrigated land and the reliability.
  • •Have started construction of regional storage and improved reliability for at least 50% of irrigated land.
  • Have started construction of infrastructure identified in zonal implementation plans.
  • Have achieved a substantial increase in the reliability of supply and the area of irrigated land, which has high standards of riparian, nutrient, and water-use management, consistent with the principles of the Strategy.
  • An indicative target is 850,000 hectares of irrigated land with 95% reliability.
  • Improved reliability of supply for all irrigated land.

Water Use Efficiency

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

GENERAL
  • No decline in the efficiency of water use.
  • Initiate the development of models/benchmarks of reasonable and efficient use of water in irrigation.
  • Establish and report, against a benchmark of current water use, the efficiency for irrigation, community, and stockwater.
  • 60% of water used for irrigation is best practice water use.
  • 80% of water used for irrigation and stockwater is best practice water use.
  • 10% reduction in community water use (litres per day per person) compared to 2010.
  • 5% increase in the benefits per unit of water for crop production, electricity generation or commercial use, compared to 2010.
  • Best practice water use on all irrigation, stockwater, and industrial/commercial use in Canterbury.
  • 20% reduction in community water use (litres per day per person) compared to 2010.
  • 25% increase in the benefits per unit of water for crop production, electricity generation or commercial use, compared to 2010.

Braided Rivers - Natural Character, Process and Ecology

  From 2010 By 2015 By 2020 By 2040

GENERAL
  • Maintain the upper catchments of alpine braided rivers as largely natural ecosystems and landscapes.
  • Implement actions to correct the decline in useable braided river bird habitat.
  • No new dams on the mainstem of major alpine braided rivers.
  • Maintain active floodplains, flow variability and sediment movement - including during river protection works, land-use change, or deliberate vegetation stabilisation.
  • Implement remedial actions where environmental flows do not include flood peaks, flow variability, flood periodicity, and channel forming flows.
  • Protect indigenous habitats in riparian wetlands, springs and braided river lagoons.
  • Enhance and protect the breeding populations of indigenous braided river birds.
  • Progress towards achieving environmental flows.
  • Protect significant habitat for a full range of indigenous braided river flora and fauna.
  • Protect and enhance habitat in riparian wetlands, springs, and braided river lagoons.
  • Achieve all environmental flows.
  • Canterbury’s braided rivers show the dynamic nature typical of such rivers.
  • Increase habitat area useable by all species of braided river indigenous birds.