Milestone closer: decisions on Natural Resources Regional Plan notified Saturday October 23
A milestone in resource management moved a step closer at today’s Environment Canterbury meeting.
Commissioners today received decisions on the chapters 4-8 of Canterbury’s Natural Resources Regional Plan. The decisions, covering water quality and quantity, land, soil conservation and the beds of lakes and rivers, move the Plan closer to being fully operative. These will be notified this Saturday, October 23, 2010.
Reports and recommendations from two hearing panels on Variations 5 and 6 to the Plan were also received today and accepted. These relate to flow regimes in some of the Kaikoura rivers and streams and the protection zone for Christchurch city’s water supply.
They are available on Environment Canterbury’s website at: http://ecan.govt.nz/
The chairman of the two hearing panels which heard submissions on the Plan, Brent Cowie, and three members of the panels – former councillors Robert Johnston, Bill Woods and Mark Oldfield – were also present at today’s council meeting. The Plan had been developed with significant input from the community over a number of years, with public input first sought in 2004. More than 1000 submissions and further submissions had been heard. Dr Brent Cowie said that the Natural Resources Regional Plan had been an “exhausting and exhaustive process” however a much improved water plan was now being notified as a result of the hearing panels’ work. The Plan provided simplified, liberalised rules for resource management that were more focused than those originally proposed, he said. It set long term targets for water quality in Canterbury’s rivers, streams and groundwater aquifers that were both aspirational and achievable. It set limits on groundwater takes in 29 zones, thus providing sustainable management for the future. Dr Cowie also said that the plan promoted efficient water use with improved reliability of supply for existing users that would allow them to make sound decisions. Commissioner Peter Skelton paid tribute to the previous regional councillors, who were appointed to the hearing panels to hear all the submissions. He said that the decisions are truly the work of elected representatives and that he was full of admiration for the manner in which the two hearing panels had dealt with the process and many complex issues. “We inherited these decisions,” he said, noting that he was proud to be associated with their work. He also thanked Environment Canterbury staff and consultants who worked on the plan. Commissioner Skelton said commissioners also have a responsibility for the implementation of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and will be reviewing the Plan in due course to ensure the decisions are consistent with the Strategy, for example, in the Hurunui River catchment. He said Environment Canterbury was open to discussing issues with submitters who were contemplating appeals to the High Court. All appeals, on points of law only, need to be resolved to arrive at an operative plan, which will be a milestone for water management in Canterbury, he said. Former Cr Robert Johnston paid tribute to the work of the panels’ chairman, Brent Cowie. “We never thought it would be four years work. We all thought it would take two, but it was a very rewarding job and we received outstanding guidance from Brent Cowie.” Chair of Commissioners Dame Margaret Bazley thanked the hearing commissioners and chair Brent Cowie as well as all submitters for the part they have played in this important planning process. The decisions on the chapters will apply from the date they are notified. Anyone who was a submitter to the process has 15 working days from Saturday to appeal to the High Court on points of law.