On behalf of the advisory group for the Restorative Programme for Lowland Streams:
Community meetings early November, Dunsandel and Leeston, central Canterbury
The advisory group for Environment Canterbury’s Restorative Programme for Lowland Streams held their third meeting this
week.
The group agreed that the evidence for reduced lowland stream flows, exacerbated by low recharge years and irrigation,
is convincing and that the inconsistencies in the conditions applied to resource consents in the Rakaia-Selwyn
groundwater zone should be addressed.
With assistance from Environment Canterbury, the group has agreed to host four meetings in early November to allow
communities to find out more about the programme, to hear views on how it might best be implemented and to listen to
other suggestions that might contribute to the aims of the programme. Two meetings will be in Leeston and two in
Dunsandel.
“It is the intention of the advisory group to engage fully with the communities involved and to bring forward their
views as to the most effective ways to improve the situation for the lowland streams and for the security of access of
existing irrigation water users,” said Dr Terry Heiler, advisory group chairman.
Dates and venues for the community meetings will be advertised and the consent-holders in this zone written to as soon
as details are confirmed.
Ends