Land and water plan notified

Environment Canterbury today confirmed that the proposed Canterbury Land & Water Regional Plan, which will facilitate the community’s ability to deliver the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, would be notified on 11 August.

Environment Canterbury Commissioner Peter Skelton says the Canterbury Water Management Strategy is the first time that the quality of water from various sources - in both urban and rural areas - has been comprehensively considered in Canterbury.

“The plan is aimed at the most challenging areas for Canterbury’s long-term economic and environmental success, particularly water quality.”

Professor Skelton said the plan would be effective in delivering Canterbury Water Management Strategy targets and putting in place the mechanisms needed to help meet community aspirations for water management.

“I am sure the appropriate relationship will be found between economic development and the interests of the environment for Canterbury’s long-term benefit.

“We need to meet our responsibilities under the Resource Management Act and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management,” Professor Skelton said. “The plan will be easy to understand and administer and will reduce the number of resource consents required.”

Input from stakeholders such as Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, together with a rūnanga working group established through the Tuia programme, has been a priority over the past year.

Earlier drafts of the plan have been made publicly available, which produced substantial informal comment that was then considered and, where appropriate, incorporated into the final draft.

The period for public submissions on the plan runs for the 40 working day period allowed for in the Resource Management Act 1991 – until 5 October 2012.

“We now look forward to receiving formal submissions,” Professor Skelton said. “This process will be followed by hearings in late 2012 and early 2013. In the meantime we are continuing to work with our stakeholders to inform them about the plan and let them know what it might mean for them.”

Once notification is completed, all the rules in the Land & Water Regional Plan will have immediate legal effect.

For more information and the latest version of the plan, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp