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Strong interest in Banks Peninsula water issues

Tuesday 13 December 2011, 3:44PM

By Environment Canterbury

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BANKS PENINSULA

In late November and early December the Banks Peninsula Zone Committee hosted community meetings to introduce its members to the community and get feedback from local people on anything to do with fresh water use.

Shelley Washington, Banks Peninsula Zone Committee Facilitator, said members of the committee were pleased with the interest shown by the community in local water issues.

“We were very happy with the response we received at the meetings. Participants represented a wide range of interests ensuring we gathered a diverse range of feedback.

“The meetings gave us an opportunity to gather and share knowledge, ideas and opportunities around local water management issues. The participants at the meetings were very engaged and left the zone committee with plenty to think about,” she said.

Some of the common themes raised at the community meetings included water efficiency, quantity and quality, as well as the impact of tourism on the water supply.

People were also keen to discuss ways to conserve water, alternative water collection (such as rainwater systems) and wastewater treatment including options such as composting toilets. The importance of having stored water for fire fighting requirements also featured.

Participants also discussed possible ways of managing some of the issues raised at the meetings. The zone committee will discuss the community feedback at its next meeting (open to the public) on from 4pm on Tuesday 20 December at the Linwood Service Centre in Smith Street, Christchurch.

Shelley Washington says the community feedback will help the committee develop its priorities for water management in the zone.

“Over the coming months we will be working hard investigating and exploring options for the on-going sustainable management of this precious natural resource.

“We will then begin to develop water management priorities for the zone. Once we have these we will again go to the community and ask them for their feedback.

“We are grateful to everyone who attended these meetings and workshops and encourage others to take the opportunity to have a say,” she said.

Once the committee has developed its priorities for water management it can begin bringing together its Zone Implementation Programme (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).

At December’s zone committee meeting the zone committee will also look at cultural values in the zone, discuss funding for biodiversity projects as part of the Immediate Steps programme and look at the surface water strategy.

An agenda will be available at www.ecan.govt.nz/canterburywater prior to the meeting.

The zone committee is one of ten established under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) to work with local communities to develop water management programmes.