Canterbury Water Strategy Out
September 2nd, 2009
This Thursday’s unveiling of the Canterbury Water Strategy by Agriculture Minister David Carter represents a milestone in national water policy-making. As the most stressed national catchment, Canterbury represents the biggest challenge for policy-makers because it cannot wait the three to five years the Govt’s Land and Water Forum may take to finalise new national water allocation systems.
The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development has been predicting the Canterbury strategy will inevitably include interim measures which are likely to influence final decisions on issues such as water storage and the competing requirements of commercial, municipal, recreational, traditional and agricultural water users.
Canterbury may also, because of its climate, be one of the best parts of the country to encourage aggressive use of nitrification inhibitors on dairy farms, to produce less polluting run-off to waterways while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Canterbury process began in March 2008, has had seven distinct strategic steps, including very wide consultation, and is being delivered on time.
Meanwhile Fonterra is urging farmers to take great care to remain compliant with resource consent requirements after a Waikato farming business was fined $90,000 for breaches of on-farm effluent discharge consents. RMA amendments reported back to Parliament have also increased the proposed top fine for water quality breaches from $200,000 to $300,000.
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