18 February 2016
MEDIA ADVISORY

Integrated water quality monitoring project begins in the Waitaki

Work towards an integrated water quality monitoring framework in the Waitaki catchment has begun.

The Upper Waitaki Zone Committee will hear about progress made towards the proposed framework at its first meeting on February 19.

The committee, one of 10 water management zone committees in Canterbury, is responsible for developing effective water management solutions which deliver economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes which align with the values of their local community.

Both the Upper and Lower Waitaki zone committees recommended in their Zone Implementation Programme (ZIP) addendum that they wanted an integrated water quality monitoring framework in place.

The aim of the programme is to share data between Environment Canterbury and the community more efficiently, measure the effectiveness of the Waitaki section of the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan and to provide data for future reviews of nutrient limits.

Currently, water quality data is being collected by Environment Canterbury, consent holders, and community groups, but there is no one place where the data collected from all parties is available.

The system would combine and consolidate water monitoring data gathered by Environment Canterbury and the Waitaki community to see which areas were being monitored, and which areas needed to be monitored.

The programme also hopes to align data gathering methods throughout the groups to provide some consistency in monitoring projects. Eventually the data would be collated and made public online.

The zone committee will also consider allocating $90,000 over three years to a pre-emptive weed control programme.

The proposal involves eradicating pest species not covered by either the Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) or the National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) recently found in parts of the Mackenzie Basin.

Control of these weed pests, such as cotoneaster, is at the discretion of individual land owners as there is no agency responsible for their management.

The proposal seeks to provide $30,000 of Immediate Steps funding per year for three years towards the project, with a further $15,000 contributed by landowners.

If the project is approved, the Department of Conservation and Environment Canterbury will work together to develop an overarching weed control strategy. Biodiversity officers will work with landowners and agencies to identify sites and species to target in the project.

Upper Waitaki Water Zone Management Committee meeting

Friday 19 February, 9:30am

Mackenzie Country Inn

Twizel

ends

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