Time running out to have say on local water issues

People interested in having their say on the Lower Waitaki – South Coastal Canterbury Zone Committee’s draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) have until 25 November to provide their feedback.

The draft ZIP recommends actions, responsibilities and time-frames for activities to help achieve the principles, targets and goals set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS).

Lower Waitaki – South Coastal Canterbury Zone Committee Chair Robin Murphy says people need to get in now to make sure their views are taken in to account.

“The Lower Waitaki draft ZIP has been developed following numerous committee meetings and extensive stakeholder and community engagement to gather information about the region’s water resource.

“The recommendations made in the draft programme of work are designed to enable present and future generations the greatest environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

“The underlying philosophy of the CWMS is that local communities should be making decisions on local water management and this is a great chance for local people to have their say.

“We want to hear what they like and don’t like about the recommendations and whether there are other things they think should be included,” he said.

In late September public meetings were held across the zone to discuss water management priorities. The feedback from the meetings helped guide the committee’s draft ZIP for water management.

Further public meetings were held in late October to give people a chance to have a say on the draft ZIP.

The draft Lower Waitaki – South Coastal Canterbury ZIP includes 60 recommendations on five key priority areas; biodiversity, Waitaki Allocation Plan, drinking water, flows, lowland streams and water quality, Hakataramea River and the Wainono Lagoon.

The draft ZIP and feedback forms can be downloaded here by 25 November 2011.

The zone committee will meet on 17 November in Oamaru for its monthly public meeting. Meeting details and a copy of the agenda can be found here.