Upper Waitaki water zone committee

Upper Waitaki zone committee in 2018

The Upper Waitaki water zone committee is a joint committee of Mackenzie District Council, Waitaki District Council and Environment Canterbury. It is in the rohe of Arowhenua, Moeraki and Waihao rūnanga.

The committee's role is to work with the community to develop actions and tactics to deliver on the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

It recommends these actions and tactics to various agencies for implementation, including councils, through a Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP).

The Upper Waitaki water zone committee has been operating since 2010 is now overseeing the ZIP's implementation, along with its addendum, ensuring the integration of agency work and resolving any ongoing resource management dilemmas.

It meets monthly on the third Friday of each month and meetings are open to the public.

View zone committee members

Community members
Mathew Bayliss — Chair
Mathew grew up in Otematata and spent his childhood fishing, swimming and boating on the lakes and rivers of the Mackenzie and Waitaki.

For the past 17 years Mathew has been a member of the Omarama Volunteer fire brigade and was a member of the Land SAR team until recently.

He also chairs the Meridian Energy Te Anau / Manapouri Community Fund and was previously acting chair of the Meridian Waitaki Community Fund.

As the Asset Maintenance Manager for Meridian Energy in Twizel, Mat has accumulated more than 25 years' technical and management experience in the energy sector.

Adriana Theobald — Deputy Chair
Adriana is a resident of the Mackenzie District and has an extensive background in conservation across the zone through her role as a Ranger with Te Manahuna Aoraki and Department of Conservation. She has a tertiary qualification in conservation management and experience initiating and supporting collaborative community conservation projects across New Zealand. She has focused on living a sustainable lifestyle for over 20 years with water conservation being an integral focus.
Marcelo Carena
Marcelo has worked in the Upper Waitaki for over 15 years and recently moved permanently to Lake Ohau Village with his family. He has been the treasurer of the local Resident and Ratepayers Association for three years, volunteers for the Mackenzie Wilding Pine Tree Trust, and writes articles for the Twizel Update. Marcelo was a professor and maize breeder at North Dakota State University for 18 years collaborating with Plant and Food Research, has worked for the United Nations FAO, and AgResearch as Science Team Leader and Senior Scientist in Forage Genetics for four years. Biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and adaptation to climate change are subjects he has addressed scientifically for almost 20 years ago through a long term vision for land and water use. Now he is an independent consultant.
Richard Subtil
Richard Subtil is a farmer and irrigator at Omarama Station, and has been involved in water use and quality issues for many years.

Richard played a significant role in creating the Omarama Stream Water Users Group, is a consistent contributor to the NAWG group and has worked alongside the local iwi to protect the local eels in the Omarama Stream.

In 2014 the Subtil’s Omarama high-country farm was awarded the Supreme Award at the Ballance Farm Environment Award Regional Awards, as well as the Environment Canterbury Water Quality, Water Force Integrated Management, Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management, and Massey University Innovation Awards.

Rūnanga representatives
Rynee de Garnham- Te Rūnanga o  Waihao (Interim)
Michael McMillan - Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.

With your contribution, with my contribution, we will sustain the people.

Kā mihi.

Vacant - Runanga Rep Te Rūnanga o Moeraki
Council appointments
  • Cr Brent Cowles- Waitaki District Council
  • Cr Scott Aronsen - Mackenzie District Council
  • Cr Lisa Small (observer) - Waimate District Council
Environment Canterbury appointment
  • Cr Nick Ward

View agendas and meeting papers

How are zone committee members selected?

Water zone committee members are appointed after councils advertise for expressions of interest from the community and serve for three years.

Applicants are assessed on skills, expertise and experience, as well as their ability to work together to develop water management solutions to economic, social, cultural and environmental issues.

Each water zone committee has between seven and 10 members, including:

  • An Environment Canterbury appointee
  • A local territorial authority councillor
  • A rūnanga appointee
  • Between four and six local members nominated from the community who come from a variety of backgrounds and interests.

See our video about managing water in Canterbury.

Zone committee key resources 

Download key documents developed by the committee, and view meeting minutes, agendas and presentations: