MEDIA RELEASE

December 8, 2016

Land & Water Regional Plan to be fully operative

Environment Canterbury announced today that the Land & Water Regional Plan would be made fully operative on 1 February 2017. The plan contains rules to improve the quality of water throughout Canterbury.

Controls on the leaching of nitrates are set by the plan, which covers a wide range of land-use activities with an impact on the quality of water in both urban and rural areas.

Environment Canterbury Councillor Peter Skelton said the effect of making all the plan’s rules operative was that the Natural Resources Regional Plan would be revoked from February 2017.

“Most of the Land & Water Regional Plan was made operative in 2015,” Professor Skelton said. “The parts that were not made operative at that time were those that were subject to unresolved appeals.”

All appeals have now been resolved, meaning parts of the plan relating to take and use of surface water, and dams and damming, can now be made fully effective.

Professor Skelton said a notable milestone for the future of Canterbury’s water management had been achieved. “All the region-wide rules implementing community aspirations for water are in place. Further, we are well advanced with a number of sub-regional plans that will help deliver water quality outcomes for local catchments.”

Plan Change 1 covering the Selwyn Te Waihora zone was made operative in February this year. Appeals on Plan Change 2 (covering the Hinds Plains area) were received earlier this year and Council recently accepted the recommendations of independent hearing commissioners on Plan Change 3 (South Coastal Canterbury). The “Omnibus” Plan Change (Plan Change 4) covers a variety of amendments to the Plan and is currently in the appeals phase. Plan Change 5 (Nutrient Management plus Waitaki) is in the hearing process, and Plan Change 6 (Wairewa / Lake Forsyth) will be made operative on 1 February 2017. Community collaboration on sub-regional plans for other catchments continues.

The Land & Water Regional Plan sets the framework to implement community aspirations for water through the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, a community led, collaborative approach to improve water outcomes throughout the region.

As well as addressing water quality and quantity issues, the Land & Water Regional Plan enables earthquake recovery and considers other important issues for Canterbury’s future such as land stability, flood protection and biodiversity.

The rules also cover water quality in urban areas. There are new rules to protect the rivers and streams in these areas from pollution from stormwater and wastewater discharges.

Council accepted the Hearing Commissioners’ recommendations on the proposed plan in late 2013. Decisions on the plan were notified in January 2014. The plan was made partly operative in September 2015.

Professor Skelton said the package of rules positioned Canterbury well to address legacy water issues and meet future challenges. “I would like to pay tribute to the wide range of people throughout the region who have contributed to date,” he said.

“However, there is still much to be done. We have the framework. Now we need to implement it so it has the impact we are all looking for – improved water quality in Canterbury.”

For more information, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp

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