Upper Waitaki Zone Committee meeting

The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee will meet for the first time in 2012 on Thursday, 19 January, at the Mackenzie Country Inn in Twizel.

At the meeting the main focus for the zone committee will be on finalising its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

Committee members have been working for months to understand water issues in the zone with the goal of developing a programme of recommendations to councils on how to manage the region’s water to enable present and future generations the greatest social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

The committee held a series of public meetings in mid-November to get local feedback on the priorities for water management in the zone. More than 60 people attended the meetings to share their experiences and knowledge, and provide feedback on the issues facing the region’s water resource.

These priorities, along with the community feedback, have guided the committee as it develops its recommendations for water management which will be detailed in its draft ZIP.

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

Once finalised, the community will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the draft ZIP before it is submitted to councils. The committee expects to be calling for feedback on its draft ZIP in February 2012.

Since the Upper Waitaki Zone Committee was formed in February 2011 it has had briefings from technical experts, a number of field trips around the district, and meetings with stakeholders and community members to gauge the range of views on water management.

The Committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki and Mackenzie District councils. Zone committee meetings are open to the public and community members are encouraged to attend.

Meeting information

Upper Waitaki Zone Committee meeting
Thursday 19 January 2012 at 12.00 pm
Conference Room at the Mackenzie Country Inn, 2 Wairepo Road, Twizel.

Read the agenda (3.5 MB)