Current North Canterbury Issues
Hurunui Water Conservation Order
The WCO will now be heard by the ECan Commissioners with no involvement from the courts. The applicants (Fish and Game and White Water NZ) were given the opportunity to alter their application given the result of the initial special tribunal hearing to protect the main stem above the Mandamus but not either the South branch or the main stem below the Mandamus. Their revised application calls for all the Hurunui to be protected: above the Mandamus because of intrinsic and amenity values and below the Mandamus on amenity values. Our branch put a submission to the original WCO and was joining with the South Island office for the appeal to the Environment Court. As an original submitter we now have a chance to amend our submission taking into account the applicants revised application. If we make no further submission our original submission will be considered by the Commissars when they decide on the WCO. We have until Friday 24th September to make a further submission. Our revised submission can be read here.
Mt Cass Windfarm
The Mt Cass Ridge Windfarm is exercising much committee time. To simplify the situation, MainPower are applying for resource consent for new elements of the roading and windmill layout. The next round will be fought in the Environmental Court, and we are funding an ecological expert to present our view that this mountain ridge is far too special for this sort of development. It is difficult to get up to the windfarm site, but some excellent photographs of the limestone outcrops, rare old forest and jewel-like grass clearings can be found on the Mt Cass Ridge Protection Society website, www.aridgetoofar.org.nz
Canterbury Water Management strategy
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) is slowly developing to address issues around water in Canterbury such as the declining health of both surface water and groundwater, an ongoing loss of cultural value and recreational opportunities, as well as the declining availability and reliability of water for agricultural and energy users
The aim of the CWMS was to establish a collaborative framework for sustainably addressing these issues to enable present and future generations to gain the greatest social, economic, recreational and cultural benefits from Canterbury’s water resources.
A number of Zone Committees have now been set up, and a common feature is the wholesale appointment of water users to the committees and the absence of committee members with even moderate environmental and recreational credentials.
