Public invited to have their say on water management in Ashburton

People in Ashburton district have a rare opportunity to have their say on the options for local water management at three meetings organised by the Ashburton Zone Committee.

“The meetings will give people the opportunity to be part of finding local solutions for local problems”, said Matthew Hall, Chair of the Ashburton Zone Committee.

“If we don’t sort our water issues, someone else could do it for us.

“Everyone has an interest in water issues and the decisions we need to make will affect us for generations to come. We really need local people’s opinions and input to make this work.”

The three public meetings are being held on July 25, 27, and 28 to update community members on the zone committee’s progress.

“Committee members have been working for months to understand the water issues for the zone. We have developed what we believe are the priorities for action which we will share with people who attend the meetings.”

People who attend will be able to ask questions and provide feedback on water management priorities in the Ashburton zone.

“The meetings will give us a chance to reflect on our work and provide a reality check from people in the community,” said Matthew Hall.

“We are really looking forward to seeing local people with an interest in water issues at the community meetings.”

The work since the committee was formed in September last year has included briefings from technical experts, a number of field trips around the district, meetings with a range of stakeholders to gauge the range of views on water management issues, as well as committee members talking with community members on water issues.

The feedback from the meetings will help the Ashburton Zone Committee develop its draft Zone Implementation Programme for water management over the coming months.

The Ashburton Zone Committee is a joint committee of the Ashburton District Council and Environment Canterbury. Members of the committee are: Arapata Reuben (Tuahuriri), Terrianna Smith (Taumutu), Karl Russell (Arowhenua), Gordon Guthrie, Greg Roadley, Sheryl Stivens, Matthew Hall, Ben Curry and Donna Field, as well as Ashburton District Councillor Neil Brown and Environment Canterbury Commissioner David Caygill.

Eight Canterbury Water zone committees are now up and running and the remaining two – for Christchurch-West Melton and Banks Peninsula – will be established in the next couple of months.

The committees are charged with working collaboratively to address water issues in line with the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

Public meeting details

Monday 25 July (1-3pm) Methven Heritage Centre
Wednesday 27 July (7-9pm) Hinds Community Centre
Thursday 28 July (7-9pm) Ashburton Events Centre