Environment Canterbury's roles

Environment Canterbury has 3 roles and responsibilities in the CPW decision-making process. They are as follows:

1. Environment Canterbury, through its Commissioners appointed to hear and decide the applications, is the consent authority.
2. As land and asset owner (particularly the river and Lake rating districts), Environment Canterbury has made a submission to Selwyn District Council to ensure Commissioners are advised about effects on essential river maintenance and flood protection works. Environment Canterbury has also submitted on the designation/consent applications made to Selwyn District Council, on the basis that these applications may be inconsistent with our Regional Policy Statement.
3. Environment Canterbury Officers and experts will provide advice to the Commissioners to assist with ensuring they are provided complete and reliable information so they can make fully informed decisions.

Protection for the 2 river catchments

The Waimakariri River Regional Plan 2004 (pdf 2.57 MB)  promotes the sustainable management of water including hydraulically connected groundwater within the Waimakariri catchment and the  Rakaia River Water Conservation Order (pdf 37kB) defines the in-stream values and natural state that must be preserved for the Rakaia River. These, together with Environment Canterbury's Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan and the Regional Policy Statement will help guide the independent commissioners throughout the decision-making process.

Potential environmental effects

One of the principal tasks for the commissioners is to consider potential environmental effects. Examples of the kinds of effects they are likely to consider include:

• The effects of significant water takes on the natural character of the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers
• Whether water can be abstracted and transported safely
• The effects on fisheries and need for fish screens
• Dam safety
• Water quality in the storage lake
• Groundwater quality, particularly in relation to the potential for increases in nitrate nitrogen concentration and microbial contamination.
• Elevation of the water table and the potential for flooding
• The effects on water quality in lowland streams; and
• The effects on water quality and of increased flows into Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora

Brief history 

In November 2005, Central Plains Water Trust was granted requiring authority status by the Minister for the Environment, enabling the Trust to apply to local councils to 'designate' or set aside land that it needs to set up infrastructure.

The Trust lodged 55 resource consent applications to take, use and discharge water, and relating to land use changes. These applications were notified on 24 June 2006. The number of people or organisations supporting each consent application varies from 153 to 172; the number opposing the consent applications varies from 1192 to 1316.

There have been a number of changes to the applications so that these numbered 64. Some of these changes have been in response to feedback on the original proposal. For example there scheme now includes a 10km tunnel to replace some 20km of canals.

In late July, at the request of the applicants, the original hearing date of September 2007 was provisionally deferred to February 2008.