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Glossary

  • Wāhi Taonga
    significant sites that hold the respect of iwi in accordance with tikanga. This term is sometimes used to describe significant places that are not wāhi tapu.
  • Wāhi tapu
    sacred sites. These include a wide range of sites such as tauranga waka (canoe landings), pā sites, urupa (burial sites) and tohu or markers.
  • Waitaki RAP
    Waitaki Regional Allocation Plan newsletter.
  • Waste analysis protocol
    the waste analysis protocol prepared by the Ministry for the Environment. It is a standardised method for acquiring quantitative information about a waste stream.
  • Waste disposal sites
    are sites where solid or hazardous waste is discharged into or onto land and include municipal and other community landfills, backfilling of quarries and farm disposal sites.
  • Waste exchange
    programmes provide a way of re-using waste. Waste exchanges try to match the generators of waste with others interested in re-using the waste. The waste exchanges maintain and administer a database of wastes wanted and wastes available.
  • Waste management hierarchy
    the hierarchy of waste management options where reducing waste is the first option, then reusing materials, recycling, (energy or materials), recovery and finally residual management (disposal to landfill / incineration).
  • Water telemetry
    the recording and automated transmission of water flows taken from groundwater or river systems, to a data collection point.
  • Wave buoy
    the Canterbury wave buoy is moored in about 76 metres of water, 17 kilometres east of Le Bons Bay, Banks Peninsula at Latitude 43° 45’ South, Longitude 173° 20’ East. It sends Environment Canterbury information about the waves off the coast every half hour. Read more about the wave buoy.
  • Wave direction
    the direction that the wave arrives at the buoy from. This is expressed as degrees from north. For example, a wave arriving from the east will have a wave direction of 90 degrees. Read more about wave direction.
  • Well-being
    councils are required to consider the future well-being of the community when they plan their activities. This involves social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being.
  • Wetlands
    permanently or temporarily wet areas of land or shallow water, with fluctuating land-water margins, that support plants and animals specially adapted to wet conditions. People generally think of wetlands as areas of waterlogged ground and shallow waters with emergent vegetation, such as are often found at land-water margins, and describe these as bogs or swamps. Technically, however, the term ‘wetland’ can also include shallow lakes and ponds, tidal estuaries, and lagoons, as well as bogs (fed by rainwater alone) and swamps (fed by streams, groundwater or run-off). Read more about wetlands.
  • White Zone
    where Environment Canterbury's assessment shows that the total amount of groundwater currently allocated is less than 80% of the allocation limit. Read more about groundwater definitions.
  • Wide braided gravel-bed rivers
    Examples: Waimakariri, Rakaia, and Rangitata. These rivers have their headwaters in the Southern Alps and are prone to large floods which could cause extensive damage to Canterbury’s rural and urban communities. Read more about Canterbury rivers.
  • Wilding trees
    self-sown exotic trees, especially coniferous species. Read more about wilding conifers.
  • WQN9
    Schedule WQN9 of Chapter Five: Water Quantity of the Natural Resources Regional Plans outlines assumptions to estimate an annual volume for consents that do not have a specific seasonal/annual volume allocation as a consent condition. Where an annual volume is assumed using Schedule WQN9, 90% of this figure is used for estimating the “effective allocation”. Note:  Environment Canterbury has had irrigation consultants review the standards for peak and seasonal irrigation demand in Schedule WQN9, Chapter 5. The revised table of irrigation standards has been developed and is currently being used as the best technical information available.
  • Wrybill Trophy
    each year, the winners of the Environment Canterbury School Award category present their exhibits to Councillors. The overall winner is awarded the Wrybill Trophy.
  • Waterway
    creek, stream, drain, river.
    Read advice about managing waterways on farms.
  • Waikino
    water that has been polluted or spoilt.
  • Waikōura
    freshwater crayfish.
  • Waiora
    pure water (Te Waiora a Tāne). Rain is waiora; it is the tears of Rakinui at the loss of Papatūānuku.
  • Waipuna
    freshwater springs.
  • Wai Māori
    water that is healthy and normal; its mauri is benevolent and can be controlled through ritual.
  • Wairua
    spirit.
  • Waitohi
    dedications.
  • Waiwhakaheketūpāpaku
    water burials.
  • Waka ama
    outrigger canoe.
  • Wastewater
    water that has been used by humans and is no longer fit for human consumption. It includes laundry, kitchen, bathroom and toilet water. Wastewater is piped to treatment stations in urban areas, and to septic tanks or other treatment systems in small towns and rural areas.
  • Whakatauki
    proverb.
  • Whānau
    family.
  • Whanaungatanga
    kinship; connecting as one people.
  • Whare wānanga
    learning house/ school/ place of learning.
  • Wiwi
    rushes.