Environment Canterbury

Collaborate with dairy and banking sectors to implement changes to farming practices to protect aquifer drinking water from pollution.

Support community inclusive catchment groups in the implementation of integrated catchment management plans.

Support farming practices and land use diversification to dryland regimes that would reduce irrigation take from river systems.

Collaboratively develop more diversified and regenerative land use across the plains that reduces need for excessive nutrient inputs.

Establish alternative safe drinking water throughout the region until the aquifers are cleansed.

Maintain streams, rivers and water races to preserve instream life through protection and restoring native riparian planting.

Achieve swimmable water quality in all Canterbury rivers within 10 years through stricter land use controls and enhanced monitoring systems.

Fund strategic riparian planting and constructed wetlands across priority catchments to reduce nutrients and sediment by 40% by 2030.

Require telemetry on all water takes and publish real-time allocation data online with automated penalties for unauthorised usage.

Balance regulatory pressure to hold the line with local partnerships and innovation to drive improvement.

Better integrate knowledge of soil and landscape context into decisions on how we manage or control farming activity.

Properly enforce standards for high priority activities such as irrigation, dairy farming, and intensive winter grazing.