Freshwater Management Review Offers Options – Hurunui Mayor

Saturday, 17 May 2025, 7:15 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

Hurunui’s mayor doesn’t expect too much change in the way freshwater is managed in her district, following a region wide review.

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum - which represents local councils - will meet on May 30 to complete its review of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) zone committees and make recommendations on their replacements.

The remaining zone committees will be disbanded next month.

Hurunui Mayor Marie Black has been on the mayoral forum’s working group looking at the restructure.

The Hurunui District Council disbanded the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee in 2019, and it was later replaced by a land and water committee.

Mrs Black said the land and water committee was similar to a zone committee, with representatives from the local council, Environment Canterbury (ECan), mana whenua and stakeholders, but had a different focus.

She said the work of the zone committee was largely taken over by initiatives such as Hurunui Irrigation, the Hurunui District Landcare Group, the Hurunui Biodiversity Trust and local catchment groups.

But she saw a role for a local leadership in providing oversight and guidance.

‘‘I think there is still a desire to have something like the land and water committee to bring the stakeholders together.

‘‘We don’t need a big people structure, we just need to support people to do this work.’’

The CWMS came into force in 2009, leading to the formation of 10 zone committees, which are a partnership between ECan, local councils, rūnanga and up to seven community representatives.

Under the proposed new model, local leadership groups comprising council and rūnanga representatives, will replace the zone committees.

It will be up to each local leadership group to determine its final makeup, including any community involvement.

The Kaikōura and Waimakariri zone committees, which both have the backing of their local councils, have expressed frustration at the lack consultation in the review process.

But Mrs Black said the review was necessary as not all zone committees were working as intended.

‘‘I think it was expected local authorities would consult with their zone committees.

‘‘I don’t think the working group’s desire is to fundamentally change the way freshwater is managed, but if councils need to fine tune their arrangements this will give them a way to do that.’’

Mrs Black said the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee was the first to be established and the first to develop a zone implementation plan - a set of rules for local freshwater management.

But there was some dissatisfaction with the zone committee and it lost its purpose once the plan was completed, she said.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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