2 September 2011

The Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee will meet on Tuesday, 6 September at the Selwyn District Council Offices in Rolleston.

At the meeting the Committee’s four working groups (Biodiversity, Lake and Lowlands, Water and Nutrient Management, and Water Supply) will make presentations to the full Zone Committee. The recommendations from the sub-groups working on each priority area will provide the basis for the Selwyn-Waihora draft Zone Implementation Programme.

The Selwyn-Waihora Committee members have been working for months to understand water issues in the zone with the goal of developing a ZIP that will enable present and future generations the greatest social and economic benefits from the region’s water.

In June and July the working groups held community meetings in Darfield and Lincoln to get feedback on water management priorities and outcomes. Working groups have also engaged with stakeholders and the community to discuss how to work together to achieve these priority outcomes.

A draft Zone Implementation Programme is expected to be ready for public comment and feedback by November.

At the meeting the Committee will also discuss the Whakamatau Lake Coleridge proposal. The scheme involves using the storage in Lake Coleridge to improve irrigation reliability, rather than simply as a source of electricity generation. The Committee will determine whether Trustpower’s proposal meets the targets set out in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, and if it should be referred to Environment Canterbury to hear and report on.

Since the Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee was formed in October last year it has had numerous briefings from technical experts, a number of field trips around the district, meetings with a wide range of stakeholders to gauge the range of views on water management issues, as well as committee members talking with community members on water issues.
The Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee is a joint committee of the Christchurch City and Selwyn Councils, and Environment Canterbury. The Selwyn-Waihora Zone takes in Lakes Ellesmere (Te Waihora) and Coleridge and the townships of Leeston, Lincoln, Hororata, Darfield, Rolleston and Springfield.

The Members of the Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee are: Robin Wybrow (Wairewa), Te Whe Phillips (Rāpaki), Terrianna Smith (Taumutu), Clare Williams (Tūāhuriri), Charlie Crofts (Koukourārata), George Tikao (Ōnuku).Arapata, Peter Jackson, John Sunckell, Douglas Catherwood, David Painter, Eugenie Sage, as well as Selwyn District Councillor Pat McEvedy, Christchurch City Council appointee Stewart Miller and Environment Canterbury Commissioner Donald Couch.

ENDS

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