Have your say on local water management

The Banks Peninsula Zone Committee wants feedback on its draft Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) for water management.

The committee is hosting four community meetings for local people, groups and organisations to provide feedback on the recommendations made in the draft ZIP.

Banks Peninsula Zone Committee Chair Richard Simpson said the completion of the draft ZIP is the culmination of months of hard work by the zone committee.

“The Banks Peninsula draft ZIP has been developed following numerous committee meetings and extensive stakeholder and community engagement to gather information about the region’s water resource.

“Its recommendations are designed to enable present and future generations the greatest environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

“The underlying philosophy of the CWMS is that local communities should be making decisions on local water management. How we manage water has an influence on our quality of life and prosperity both now and for future generations.

“Community input is vital to ensuring our water resource is managed sustainability. We now want to hear what local people like and don’t like about the recommendations and whether there are other things they think should be changed,” said Richard Simpson.

Once community feedback has been considered the ZIP will be updated and presented to councils as the basis for work programmes and for drafting regional plans.

The draft ZIP includes ten chapters, each focussing on a different priority area for water management. The ten chapters are:

• Water quality
• Lake Wairewa
• Water quantity
• Wastewater
• Biodiversity
• Climate change and flooding
• Kaitiakitanga
• Education and communication
• Erosion and sediment control
• Coastal

 

The Banks Peninsula Zone committee was set up under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and had its launch in September 2011. The committee consists of five community members, four Rūnanga representatives, and appointees from Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council.

Meeting details

Monday 29 October 6 to 8pm                         Lyttelton Top Club, 23 Dublin Street, Lyttelton
Tuesday 30 October 6 to 8pm                       Akaroa Sports Complex
Wednesday 31 October 6 to 8pm                 Little River Rugby Clubroom
Thursday 1 November 5.30 to 7.30pm        Diamond Harbour Community Hall

The feedback period on the Banks Peninsula draft ZIP is open from 29 October to 16 November.

Copies of the draft ZIP and feedback form will be available at the community meetings and at: www.ecan.govt.nz/canterburywater .