3 August 2012

Waimakariri Zone Committee meeting

The Waimakariri Zone Committee will meet for its monthly meeting on Monday, 6 August, at the Oxford Working Mens Club in Oxford.

The committee will begin the workshop with an update from the Regional Committee, which considers region-wide issues of environmental restoration and repair; land use impacts on water quality; as well as water storage, distribution and efficiency options.

A key focus for the committee at the meeting will be on microfauna in the zone. The committee will receive a presentation from NIWA on how land use intensification can impact on groundwater biodiversity.

The committee will also receive a presentation on a report from Environment Canterbury looking at surface and groundwater interactions in the zone. The study will better inform decision making on groundwater availability. It also identifies water availability and the committee will look at the implications for water quality of increased irrigation on the Eyre Groundwater zone.

The committee will also look further at gravel extraction in the zone, having received a briefing from Environment Canterbury on its Gravel Management Strategy at its June meeting. The draft Gravel Management Strategy was developed after discussions with the industry and key groups to inform decisions on resource management matters. Its purpose is to set out the role of Environment Canterbury to sustainably manage gravel extraction from rivers.

Another item on the agenda for the committee is its involvement with the Waimakariri District Council on its submission on Environment Canterbury’s Land and Water Regional Plan, which is set to be notified on 11 August.

The zone committee operates as a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waimakariri District Council. The Waimakariri Zone includes the Ashley River catchment and shares the Waimakariri catchment below the gorge with the Selwyn- Waihora and Christchurch-West Melton zones. It includes Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Oxford.

Waimakariri Zone Committee meeting
9:00am, Monday, 6 August.
Oxford Working Mens Club, 160 High Street, Oxford
Link to agenda: http://ecan.govt.nz/publications/Council/cw-waimak-agenda-060812.pdf

ENDS

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