OTOP release water plans

The Timaru District’s water zone committee has released a suite of more than 100 draft recommendations to improve the region’s waterways.

The Orari-Temuka-OpihiPareora (OTOP) zone committee has been tasked with putting together recommendations to present to regional council Environment Canterbury (ECan) in April.

Public workshops began on the issue in 2016.

Drinking water supplies, water quality outcomes for groundwater, community water protection zones, and monitoring and education were among the areas OTOP wanted to focus on.

Committee chairman John Talbot said the work was a ‘‘big step’’ towards healthier rivers in the region, and community consultation would continue in the new year.

‘‘The community asked us, in particular, to improve rivers for swimming, fishing and food gathering and also provide reliable water for economic growth.

‘‘We’re looking to improve environmental flows in tributaries, better manage nutrients entering waterways, and enable access to ‘alpine’ water,’’ he said.

Between January 2018 an February 2018 the zone committee would be hosting drop-in sessions around the water zone about the recommendations.

When it came to education about water issues, the committee recommended holding community workshops on water protection zones, and talking about risk and the actions landowners could take to mitigate it.

Providing one-on-one contact with landowners to inform them of their obligations was also recommended. Maori rock art sites in the Timaru District and their protec- tion were also a focus of the draft addendum.

‘‘The policy and rule framework of the regional council plan change recognises and protects sites of wahi tapu, wahi taonga and nohoanga from land and water use activities,’’ the document said.

Recognising mahinga kai - Ngai Tahu interests in traditional food and resources associated with it - was also a priority in the set of recommendations.

The committee wanted OTOP to include a ‘‘freshwater outcome that provides for the improved quality of freshwater mahinga kai species for customary gathering, and water being suitable for their safe harvesting, and safety for consumption’’.

Better information sharing between ECan and district councils was also recommended, and the addendum provided a list of water bodies it wanted better protection for - including Spider Lagoon, Saltwater Creek, and Waitakarao (Washdyke) Lagoon.

Better protection of upper catchments and the recognition of protecting and maintaining tussock grass was also included.

The committee was also pushing for erosion control to be managed in the upper catchments ‘‘with species other than invasive and/or plantation forestry species’’.

‘‘The upper catchments of the OTOP zone provide reliable, highquality water that is valued for drinking water, recreation and irrigation uses.

‘‘These areas also provide for in-stream values that encourage biodiversity to thrive. Protection of upper catchments is therefore essential.’’

Particular recommendations included acknowledging the Temuka River as having particular cultural significance, and investigating sediment, E.coli and phosphorous in the Temuka freshwater management unit.