A water management plan for the upper Waitaki catchment west of the Waitaki dam has now been finalised by a community committee set up by Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie district councils.
The plan, known as the upper Waitaki zone implementation programme, contains 50 recommendations prepared by the Upper Waitaki Zone Committee after extensive consultation with the community.
Chairman Barry Shepherd said the committee had worked hard to reach consensus decisions that reflected the needs of the community and were acceptable to a wide range of interests.
"As a committee, we have a wide diversity of experience and this means when we came to putting detail on paper, all reasonable endeavour was made to capture a diverse range of opinions," he said.
How water was allocated and used was crucial to the future of the region and the committee was pleased with the level of interest shown by stakeholders and the community.
"We were happy with the response we received at the public meetings. Participants represented a wide range of interests, ensuring we gathered a diverse range of feedback," he said.
That had been reflected in the final version of the programme.
"The importance of gathering extensive data in the zone was a common theme and until we have more zone-specific information, we believe a staged approach to land development and irrigation, along with audited self-management, is appropriate to allow time to address the range of economic, environmental and social targets set by the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.
"It is vital we get water management right, as the decisions we make now will affect our quality of life and prosperity both now and for future generations," he said.
The plan included recommendations on five key areas - water nutrient and effluent management; Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan including environmental limits and development; braided rivers; biodiversity; and prosperity.
