Water is top priority says chairman

Sustainable water management is the number one priority for Environment Canterbury, says the council’s chairman Sir Kerry Burke. He welcomed the release of the 2007 New Zealand State of the Environment Report, produced by the Ministry for the Environment, which highlights environmental trends over the past ten years.

“In Canterbury, sustainable water management is our core concern. This report is a welcome reminder of the need for sustainable land and water management practices to go hand-in-hand with economic growth.”

Close to $16 million would be spent on water management in Canterbury this financial year, the highest spend of all environmental portfolios.

“We understand the pressures on the farming community and are heartened by their willingness to work with us and other agencies mindful of environmental issues like the Fish and Game Councils. It cannot be stated too strongly that protecting water quality is a key environmental bottom line which has to be protected by organisations which monitor and issue resource consents.”

Sir Kerry outlined out a number of measures ECan had taken, and was rolling out, to address water quality and quantity issues. These included:
• The restorative programme for lowland streams, which requires meters on all takes in areas of high demand and the introduction of annual seasonal limits to better reflect recharge rates and protect the water resource and existing users.
• River management plan reviews and consent reviews alongside.
• Nutrient budgets to reduce nitrate leaching into groundwater and waterways.
• Riparian planting of lowland streams and rivers, through more than 30 Living Streams community programmes.
• Partnerships with the dairy industry to keep stock out of waterways.
• Recommendations to decline new water takes in areas where sustainability limits had been reached.
• Recognising the impact of climate in water allocation decisions.
• Enforcement and monitoring of consents to ensure people were keeping to the conditions of consents. Irrigation restrictions were now in place on more than two thirds of all Canterbury river catchments.
• Working proactively with the development community to improve coastal and river ecosystems by keeping sediment out of waterways and harbours.

“In Christchurch, treated sewage is being removed from the estuary to an ocean outfall thanks in part to the work of the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Ihutai Trust using ECan’s water monitoring data to back up their calls for a cleaner recreational environment.

"The Ministry for the Environment report indicates that there is no room for complacency from environmental managers. We have a strong work programme around water and our community has indicated it also wants clean lakes, rivers and sea.

“In recent times, we have become much more aware of things like our carbon footprint, but we still need to watch our local neighbourhoods and work on ways to reduce our impact on our natural environment, our rivers, streams and coast in cities and in rural areas."


For further information: Environment Canterbury Chairman Sir Kerry Burke 0275 425 848 or ECan Water Portfolio Chairman Cr Mark Oldfield 0274 374 360 or ECan Director Investigations and Monitoring Ken Taylor, 03 371 7109 or 027 2954 359.