Upcoming meetings

The Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee meeting schedule.

Date	Time & location	Agenda
20 May 2013	Monday at 4:00PM Hurunui District Council Chambers 66 Carters Road Amberley	Read the agenda (438 kB)

Latest media releases

17 May 2013: Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee Meeting
19 April 2013: Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee Meeting
19 April 2013: Environment Canterbury accepts proposed HWRRP recommendation
14 February 2013: Canterbury Water Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee Meeting

Activities and actions

The Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee was the first of the 10 zone committees established throughout Canterbury.

The initial focus of the Hurunui–Waiau Zone Committee was on developing its Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) for water management following numerous meetings with groups, community organisations and the public.

In August 2011, the final ZIP was received by Environment Canterbury and the Hurunui District Council. It includes 66 recommendations to councils and other parties and is designed to provide an integrated approach to water management in the zone while achieving the desired social, environment, cultural and economic outcomes.

Environment Canterbury Commissioners endorsed the ZIP as "the basis for the design and realignment of work programmes, for drafting regional plan provisions, and for preparation of a draft Long Term Plan".

Thie focus for the committee is now on implementing the on-the-ground actions outlined in the ZIP.

At its February meeting, the first for 2013, the committee focussed on the progress being made on the ZIP's recommendations. Around half of the recommendations have been completed, many others are underway, and some have yet to begin.

The committee considered any recommendations that have yet to be progressed and determine what can be done to action them.

The committee is also looking at water storage options, the proposed Hurunui Waiau Regional Plan, and has discussed monitoring and investigation requirements with Environment Canterbury.

Discussing priorities for Land Use and Water Quality implementation work in the zone, and considering its approach to load limits in the Waiau catchment will be important parts of the commtitee's work in 2013.

Zone committee marks milestone

At its monthly meeting in July the Hurunui-Waiau water management zone committee celebrated its two year anniversary.

The zone committeee has been meeting at least once each month to discuss local water management issues since forming in July 2010.

The committee was the first of ten in zone committees in Canterbury to deliver its vision for water management via its Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

The ZIP was developed in conjunction with the local community and key stakeholders following dozens of committee and public meetings involving more than 300 people, and written feedback from more than 120 people.

The intention of the ZIP is to guide local government policy to give effect to the vision and goals set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS).

The CWMS charges zone committees with developing collaborative water management solutions to enable present and future generations the greatest social and economic benefits from the region’s water, within a sustainable framework.

The committee has attributed its strong collaborative spirit with helping it to reach consensus decisions on water management issues that are acceptable to a wide range of people.

The committee marked the milestone in typical Hurunui fashion – with a freshly baked chocolate cake made by one of the committee members.

Environment Canterbury working with...