A new committee which will help manage water in the lower Waitaki River catchment and Waimate district with input from the community was formally launched in Oamaru last night.
The Lower Waitaki-South Coastal Canterbury water management zone committee has been established by Environment Canterbury (ECan) with the Waitaki and Waimate district councils under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, to give the community a greater say in water management in their areas.
Last night, ECan commissioners chairwoman Dame Margaret Bazley, along with Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean, Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton and Waimate Mayor John Coles officially launched the committee at the Oamaru Opera House.
Today, the new zone committee will have an orientation day, at which it will set the date for its first meeting, probably some time later next month.
The committee, which will help manage water in the area from the Pareora River to the lower Waitaki catchment, will hold monthly meetings, which will be open to the public and news media unless issues of confidentiality are discussed.
It is the fifth of 10 water management zone committees being established in the Canterbury region under the auspices of ECan and the local authorities whose areas they operate in.
Another is in the process of being formed for the upper Waitaki catchment west of the Waitaki dam, with nominations being called for community representatives. It is expected to be launched early next year.
The Lower Waitaki-South Coastal Canterbury committee consists of six community representatives - farmer Matthew Ross (Duntroon), dairy farmer and chairman of the Morven-Glenavy Irrigation company Robin Murphy (Glenavy), Meridian Energy Ltd partnership manager Sean McCready (West Melton), Kurow environmentalist and farmer Kate White (Kurow), land manager in the forestry industry Andrew Cocking (Timaru) and a member of the Waitaha tribe Anne Te Maiharoa-Dodds (Glenavy).
The community members will be joined on the committee by Cr Peter McIlraith (Waimate District Council), Cr Geoff Keeling (Waitaki District Council), Patrick Tipa (Moeraki runanga), Te Wera King (Waihao runanga), Mandy Home (Arowhenua runanga) and Environment Canterbury commissioner Peter Skelton.
The zone committees will develop comprehensive and integrated action plans, measured against the overall strategy, covering. -
• Environmental restoration and development.
• Land-use intensification or reduction.
• Land-use practice and efficiencies.
• Infrastructure and its effect.
• Water brokerage and efficiency of use.
• Water quality and efficiency at community and river-system levels.
• Customary use.
• Recreational and amenity provisions.
• Other issues relevant to the zone.
Committee members would be given a full induction to get them up to speed with all the issues and have access to technical advisers for assistance.
