Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee meeting

The Orari-Opihi-Pareora (OOP) Zone Committee will meet in Timaru on Friday 9 December 2011.

Since forming, the committee has had numerous public meetings, field trips and presentations to bring it up to speed on the water resource in the zone.

The main focus for the committee at this month’s meeting is to review its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP). The draft ZIP recommends the actions, responsibilities and time-frames to help achieve the principles, targets and goals set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

The committee hopes to be able to finalise the draft ZIP in mid-January 2012 and release it for public feedback the following month. Members of the public will be invited to attend community meetings and submit feedback on-line.

In mid-October the committee held a first round of public meetings to get community feedback on priorities for water management in the zone. The feedback from these meetings helped guide the draft ZIP.

At this month’s meeting the committee will also be updated on the progress of the Regional Committee and receive a presentation on planning for changes in land use and vegetation cover. Environment Canterbury staff will then present on the implications of coastal processes for freshwater management.

At its previous meeting the committee received presentations on the Opihi Review Process and Orari River Plan. The committee also looked at water yield and quantity in the zone and the contribution of vegetation to water yield.

The OOP Zone Committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils. The zone extends south from the Rangitata River through to the Pareora catchment. It includes all of the Timaru district and parts of the Mackenzie and Waimate districts.

Meeting information

Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee meeting
1pm on Friday 9 December 2011
Meeting Room 1, Timaru District Council building , King George Place , Timaru

Read the agenda