Letter opposing the Government attack on Water Conservation

The following letter has been signed by a large number of people concerned with the sweeping changes made by the government and the threat it poses on providing adequate environmental protection for Canterbury’s nationally outstanding rivers and lakes.

For more information please contact Tony Hawker, Environment Officer, North Canterbury Fish and Game, phone 03 366 9191 or thawker@fishandgame.org.nz

Bede O’Malley
Chair of Steering Group
Canterbury Water Management Strategy
Bob Parker, Chair Mayoral Forum
31st March 2010

Dear Bede,
We have grave concerns about the sweeping changes to Water Conservation Order (WCO) legislation, specific to Canterbury. Our support for the Canterbury Water Management Strategy is predicated upon adequate environmental protection. Water Conservation Orders have hitherto provided appropriate protection for Canterbury’s nationally outstanding rivers and lakes including Lakes Coleridge and Ellesmere / Te Waihora and the Rakaia, Ahuriri and Rangitata Rivers. Having these WCO’s in place has enabled many of us to support the CWMS knowing that proposed infrastructure projects would need to comply with them. Under the new legislation WCO’s will be considerably weakened. We note that a Water Conservation Order does not preclude irrigation takes from a river, and that Canterbury rivers with Water Conservation Orders provide examples of a careful balance between irrigation, conservation and recreation interests.

The Water Conservation Order appeals for the Hurunui River and lakes were due to be heard in the Environment Court in May for which we have all spent much time and money in preparation. Under the new legislation detailed in the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill, revised WCO provisions with watered-down criteria would be heard by Government-appointed commissioners instead of the Court. These same commissioners would also be responsible for implementing water infrastructure throughout Canterbury, a direct conflict of roles.
This Bill was introduced to address Environment Canterbury’s perceived poor performance in dealing with water management. Therefore in our opinion using it as a Trojan horse to weaken the WCO legislation, put in place to protect our nationally important rivers, is outside the scope of the review and is entirely inappropriate.

Staff and volunteers of our organizations have spent many hours working collaboratively and in good faith in the CWMS process in the view that it offers a better management framework for water management in Canterbury. We have been encouraged to date by the intention of the CWMS to work within the framework of Water Conservation Orders. The CWMS is not equipped to deal with those rivers that posses values of national importance.

Undermining national WCO legislation in Canterbury is a serious breach of good faith with our organisations and members, which was the basis upon which we agreed to take part in the CWMS process. As a result, unless the national Water Conservation Order provisions are reinstated in Canterbury, we as organisations (or in some cases individuals) are reluctantly re-considering our continued commitment to the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Todd
South Island Conservation Manager Forest and Bird

Polly Miller
President White Water New Zealand

Martin Clements
Chair North Canterbury Fish and Game

Ross Millichamp
Regional Manager North Canterbury Fish and Game

Jay Graybill
Regional Manager Central South Island

Murray Rodgers
Chair Water Rights Trust

Eugenie Sage
Member Canterbury Water Management Strategy Steering Group

Hugh Canard
Member (Recreation) Canterbury Water Management Strategy Steering Group

Edith Smith
Member (Conservation) Canterbury Water Management Strategy Steering Group

Cc David Horne, CEO Canterbury Water Executive; Bryan Jenkins, CEO ECAn; Hon Nick Smith.