A draft plan to resolve water issues in the upper Waitaki catchment west of the Waitaki dam could be made public next month and community feedback sought.
The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee will meet for the first time in 2012 tomorrow in Twizel, with its main focus finalising its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).
The committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie District Councils, one of 10 set up throughout Canterbury under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy to prepare community-based plans to resolve water issues in their areas.
Upper Waitaki committee members have been working for months to understand water issues in the zone with the goal of developing a programme of recommendations to the three councils on how to manage the region's water to enable present and future generations to have the greatest social and economic benefits from the region's water.
The committee held a series of public meetings in mid-November to get local feedback on the priorities for water management in the zone. More than 60 people attended the meetings to share their experiences and knowledge, and provide feedback on the issues facing the region's water resource.
These priorities, along with the community feedback, have guided the committee as it develops its recommendations for water management which will be detailed in its draft zone plan.
