MEDIA ADVISORY

14 July 2014

Lower Waitaki Zone Committee meeting

The Lower Waitaki – South Coastal Canterbury Zone Committee will meet in Waimate for its monthly water management meeting onWednesday, 16 July.

The committee’s current focus is on developing outcomes for water quantity and water quality limits for the area from Morven Drain to the Otaio catchment as part of sub-regional planning processes for the zone.

Over the past few months a community-led nitrogen allocation reference group has been meeting to discuss nitrogen allocation options that provide more flexibility for low-emitting land uses (within the load limit that delivered the water quality outcomes).

At Wednesday’s meeting the zone committee will receive a report back from the reference group and decide on the nitrogen allocation option and update its Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) Addendum to go to Environment Canterbury Commissioners later this month. It will be delivered to the Waimate and Waitaki district councils in September.

The committee will also consider a planting and fencing project for Immediate Steps biodiversity funding that aims to protect the habitat of a local low-land stream and improve the habitat for mudfish.

Immediate Steps aims for the protection of ecosystems and habitats to conserve indigenous freshwater diversity. Zone committees decide the priorities for each zone and distribute the funding. There is still significant funding available for local biodiversity projects – application forms can be found by searching ‘Immediate Steps’ at www.ecan.govt.nz.

The Lower Waitaki - South Coastal Canterbury Zone Committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waimate and Waitaki District Councils. The zone extends from the Otaio catchment in the north, to the Waitaki Dam in the south, taking in Waimate, Kurow and Duntroon.

Zone Committee meeting information

Lower Waitaki – South Coastal Canterbury Zone Committee meeting

1:00pm, Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Waimate Community Centre, Queens Street, Waimate

For a copy of the agenda visit the Lower Waitaki page at www.ecan.govt.nz/canterburywater prior to the meeting.

ENDS

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