Water Science Consent-holder Charge invoices due

Environment Canterbury is sending invoices to water consent holders for their Water Science Charges for the current financial year.

The Water Science Consent-holder Charge – introduced this financial year – applies to individuals, companies and organisations with consents to take water or discharge to water or land. The invoices cover the financial year from July 2010 to June 2011. The invoices were scheduled to be sent in early March but were delayed by the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch.

Environment Canterbury Commissioner David Caygill says the Water Science Charge is a new way of funding part of Environment Canterbury's water science investigations and monitoring work.

“Scientific investigations and monitoring work is required to better understand the nature of Canterbury’s freshwater resource to ensure it is managed efficiently.”

Previously 100 per cent of the work was funded from general rates. Funding of Environment Canterbury’s work is now from a combination of general rates and user charges. Seventy per cent of the funding will continue from general rates with 30 per cent from the Water Science Consent-holder Charge.

“Environment Canterbury consulted extensively over the past couple of years to come up with a new way of charging for the work that provides a better balance between charging those who benefit from council services and those who drive demand for council services.”

Out of a total budget of $7.7 million for freshwater science investigations and monitoring the water consent holders’ share is $2.4 million (30%). The balance of $5.3 million is from general rates.

Environment Canterbury’s scientific investigations includes work on the interaction between surface water and groundwater, contaminant sources and risks, changes to water systems as a result of water takes or changes in land use, as well as working with consent holders to measure water takes.

The monitoring work includes the measurement of river flows and groundwater levels, the monitoring of groundwater and surface-water quality, as well as monitoring the ecosystem health of lowland streams, inland lakes and coastal lakes and lagoons.

The money collected from the Water Science Consent-holder Charge will be used for scientific work in the zone it was collected from as well as a share of relevant regional work.

Consent holders can check their Water Science Charge via an online calculator at www.ecan.govt.nz/WSCcalculator