Each year Environment Canterbury undertakes an extensive work programme of scientific water investigations across the Canterbury region. This work provides Environment Canterbury with a better understanding of the nature of Canterbury’s fresh water and potential effects caused by the cumulative effect of water user’s activities
Until recently the funding for this investigation work has come from the general rate as the whole community benefits from a good understanding of the water resource. Environment Canterbury has observed there is a correlation between the number of resource consent holders taking water or discharging in an area and an increased demand for scientific investigation in the same area.
It was decided after extensive consultation that resource consent holders who take water or discharge to land or water will pay a share of the scientific investigation in their area.
From this year (July 2011 – June 2012) Environment Canterbury is recovering 30 per cent (on average across the region), of the cost of the scientific work from consent holders. Water consent holders’ share is $2.2 million (30%) with the balance of $5.4 million coming from general rates. The total budget for scientific investigations and monitoring is $7.6 million.
The money collected from consent-holders in each zone will be used to help fund scientific work in that zone.
The scientific investigations and monitoring work is required to better understand the nature of Canterbury’s freshwater resource. Better understanding of the freshwater resource provides for better management, allowing improved certainty and reliability for existing and future consent holders.
For further assistance please contact Customer Service on 03 353 9007 or toll free on 0800 324 636.
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