Canterbury water strategy win/win
new-zealand-labour-party
Fri Sep 04 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Canterbury water strategy win/win
Friday, 4 September 2009, 9:23 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
4 September 2009
Media Statement
Canterbury water strategy win/win in the way forward
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy presents the potential of a win/win way forward for the province and New Zealand, says Labour water quality spokesman Brendon Burns.
The Christchurch Central MP says the strategy’s balanced approach to environmental and economic outcomes is a blueprint for a prosperous and sustainable future for everyone in the region.
“I take my hat off to chair Bede O’Malley and the other members of the strategy team. They have worked collaboratively and delivered a visionary statement which acknowledges that past practices have been damaging and the first thing that must happen is to begin to restore the quality of our waterways.”
Brendon Burns says any further applications for harnessing water deserve the same collaborative, community-driven approach.
“Just this week I visited the Opuha Dam in South Canterbury which is a good example of a community-initiated water scheme that almost everyone supports and benefits from.
“That said, we would want to ensure that the strategy’s ten proposed new water zones all work to regional criteria, have broad community and stakeholder representation and meet or exceed national minimum water and environmental standards.
“We do need to be wary of having too many layers of administration. Not only would there be 10 zone committees, a Regional Water Management Committee and Ecan. There is also the Government’s proposal for an Environmental Protection Agency,” Brendon Burns said.
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“But these are details to be worked through. Today we should acknowledge that Canterbury has a process developed with broad support which provides the capacity to improve our waterways and deliver sustainable growth into our future.
“It is also a model that may provide a way forward for the rest of New Zealand.
“On a number of levels, this deserves to be celebrated,” said Brendon Burns.
ENDS
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