MEDIA RELEASE

23 December 2010

Diverse Range of Interests Represented on Upper Waitaki Zone Committee

Seven community members have been appointed to the Upper Waitaki zone committee following a thorough selection process. The Upper Waitaki is the sixth of ten zone committees to be formed under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

The newly appointed Upper Waitaki zone committee members are Bill Chisholm, Barry Shepherd, Anne Steven, Mike Neilson, Simon Cameron, Shane Te Maiharoa and Mathew Bayliss.

The zone committee also includes Waitaki District Councillor Craig Dawson and Mackenzie Mayor Claire Barlow, Environment Canterbury Commissioner Peter Skelton and rūnanga appointments Wayne Tipa, John Wilkie and Mandy Home.
Waitaki Councillor Craig Dawson says much care was taken to choose the best combination of people with the skills, interests and expertise to ensure the collective strength of the committee.

“While each member brings different strengths to the committee, they all share a common passion for the district and a desire to ensure its water resources are properly managed in the interests of the community at large,” he said.

Mackenzie Mayor Claire Barlow also acknowledged the impressive and wide-ranging individual qualifications, accomplishments, interests and occupations.

“As a group, they have the breadth and depth of expertise to work collaboratively to develop creative solutions to water management issues in the district, while addressing the priorities set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy,” she said.

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

Environment Canterbury Commissioner Peter Skelton says the establishment of the Upper Waitaki committee represents another important step in the implementation of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

“The role of the committee is to develop an Upper Waitaki zone water management implementation programme – taking into account other zone committee programmes and the Regional Committee’s programme – to give effect to the fundamental principles and targets of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.”

Peter Skelton says the Environment Canterbury Commissioners wholeheartedly endorse the implementation of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

“We recognise the significance of encouraging and facilitating community input on water issues in Canterbury. We also recognise the need to get the process right and to make sound, balanced decisions for the management of the natural physical resources of Canterbury.

“We are confident we have a pool of capable people with wide-ranging interests and experience who, together with other committee members, will begin to develop the broad water management programme for the area with skill and urgency,” he says.

The Upper Waitaki zone committee will meet for the first time in February 2011 for an orientation workshop.

The Upper Waitaki zone committee operates as a joint committee of the Waitaki and Mackenzie district councils and Environment Canterbury.

Committee meetings are open to the public. Agendas and minutes will be posted on each council's website and on the www.canterburywater.org.nz website.

ENDS

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