Environment Canterbury's commissioners have set targets for the next three years aimed at achieving sustainable solutions to environmental, economic, cultural and social issues for all of the regional council's area, which includes part of North Otago.
After seven years of delays and consideration, the final resource consent decision has been made on using water from the lower Waitaki River and its tributaries, including the Hakataramea River.
Rabbits invading Waitaki Valley towns may face temporary residency, as the Ahuriri Community Board seeks a way to control them before they start to multiply and get out of control.
There is widespread support for making the wearing of lifejackets on small boats using Canterbury's lakes and waterways compulsory.
The uproar caused by a suggestion of extra annual charges on Twizel residents to dispose of their stormwater may be resolved.
North Otago people have been urged to get involved in "a really exciting time" for water management in their area.
The establishment of a special committee by Environment Canterbury (ECan) to manage water resources in the lower Waitaki catchment and the Waimate district will be discussed at two public meetings next week.
Major irrigation companies on the lower Waitaki River have challenged an Environment Canterbury decision to grant water for a new irrigation scheme for Waimate which could cost up to $200 million to build.
Canterbury Farmers on the coast near Waimate have given Environment Canterbury the thumbs-up for river-control work which helped them escape relatively unscathed from last week's heavy rain.
Twelve resource consent applications to use water from the lower Waitaki River for irrigation have been granted by Environment Canterbury, including three for a new irrigation scheme in the drought-prone Waihao Downs area south of Waimate.
Environment Canterbury costs too much to deal with, based on the experience of the Waitaki District Council and some of its ratepayers.
An Environment Canterbury hearing on 110 resource consent applications for water in the upper Waitaki catchment above the Waitaki dam, including for three big dairy farm developments, has been adjourned after hearing evidence and submissions for 56 days.
A further resource consent to take and use water for irrigation within the lower Waitaki catchment has been granted by an Environment Canterbury (ECan) panel of commissioners.
The first meeting of Environment Canterbury's new Government-appointed commissioners under chair Dame Margaret Bazley took place this morning without a hitch.
Seven commissioners appointed by the Government to run Environment Canterbury (ECan) will have their first public regional council meeting tomorrow.
A coffin bearing the words, "RIP Regional Democracy" brought a sombre note to the final and sometimes emotional meeting of the supposedly dysfunctional Canterbury Regional Council today, which has been dismissed by central Government.
Government fix-it specialist Dame Margaret Bazley is to take over as chairman of commissioners overseeing Environment Canterbury.
Environment Canterbury has come out swinging against the Government at its penultimate regional council meeting.
Splitting the Waitaki catchment in two under a radical plan to manage water in Canterbury was questioned at a meeting of the Waitaki District Council this week.
Environment Canterbury tried for four years to convince successive Governments to give it special powers to deal with freshwater management issues in Canterbury.
