Agenda of Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Membership:

Matthew Bayliss (Chair)

Adriana Theobald

Richard Subtil

Marcelo Carena

Michael McMillan

Rynee de Garnham

Scott Aronsen

Brent Cowles

Nick Ward

Upper Waitaki Zone Committee Meeting Friday 16 February 2024, 10am – 12.15pm At – Mount Cook Alpine Salmon office, 4 Benmore Place, Twizel
Time		Item	Lead
9.30am		Morning Tea – provided by Mt Cook Alpine Salmon
10am		Opening Karakia
10.05am	1	Welcome & introductions	Chair
10.10am	2	Standing Items - Apologies, Minutes, Interests Register, Matters arising	Chair
10.20am	3	Ahuriri Farmer’s Meeting – Review & Next Steps - Time to prepare for the March Farmer’s meeting, hosted by the committee, and to confirm follow- up actions and next steps.	Chair & Facilitator
10.50am	4	ECan Zone Delivery – update - Peter and Jess will lead a update on current priorities of the ECan Zone Delivery Team.	Peter Burt & Jess Hishon-Knowles (ECan)
11.10am	5	Omarama & Twizel Demonstration Plots – update - Felicity McMillan (Te Kete Tipuranga o Huirapa Ltd) will provide an update on this 2022/23 CWMS Action Plan Budget project supported by the committee.	Felicity McMillan
11.25am	6	Love Our Lakes campaign – update - Heather will provide this update on the summer Love Our Lakes campaign.	Kate Doran (ECan)
11.35am	7	Mt Cook Alpine Salmon – update - Environmental Manager, Rick Ramsay, will provide an overview of Mt Cook Alpine Salmon’s environmental programme.	Rick Ramsay
11.50pm	8	Committee Updates - Murray will provide updates for the committee including the CWMS Action Plan Budget and projects for 2023/24.	Facilitator
12.10pm	9	General Business	Chair & Facilitator
12.15pm		Closing Karakia
12.15 – 1pm		BBQ Lunch – provided by Mt Cook Alpine Salmon

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting Minutes 10 November 2023

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Unconfirmed MINUTES

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting

10 November 2023

MINUTES OF
Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting
HELD AT THE Tekapo Hall, Aorangi Drive, Tekapo
ON Friday, 10 November 2023 AT 10.06am

PRESENT: Chairperson Matthew Bayliss, Mr Richard Subtil, Member Michael McMillan (online), Member Rynee de Garnham, Cr Scott Aronsen, Cr Brent Cowles, Cr Nick Ward

IN ATTENDANCE: Murray Griffin, zone facilitator, Tim Davie, director of science at Ecan, Peter Burt, zone lead for Upper Waitaki, Douglas ? from Alpine Salmon, Rick Ramsay from Mount Cook Salmon, Rebecca McIntyre, local farmer, John Benn, Department of Conservation, Jess Hitchen Mills, Jaymie Currie, Shirley Hayward, Heather McCarron (all Ecan staff), Cr Lisa Small, Waimate District, Arlene Goss, governance support.

1 Opening

The meeting opened with a karakia.

2 Apologies

Apologies were received from members Adriana Theobald and Marcelo Carena.

3 Declarations Of Interest

Member Marcelo Carena added by email before the meeting that he is a member of the biosecurity advisory group.

Member Rynee de Garnham said she would email her interests to the facilitator.

4 Minutes

4.1 Minutes of Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting - 18 August 2023

Committee Resolution UPP/2023/107

Moved: Cr Nick Ward

Seconded: Cr Scott Aronsen

1. That the Minutes of the Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting held on Friday 18 August 2023 be received and confirmed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

Carried

5 Reports

5.1 Ahuriri Catchment Farmers' Meeting - Review and Next Steps

This agenda item provided the committee with an opportunity to discuss the Ahuriri catchment Farmer’s meeting, hosted by the committee, on Thursday 26 October in Omarama.

Facilitator Murray Griffin asked for a discussion on this meeting and next steps. The meeting had about 30 farming representatives in the room and agreed to have another meeting in a few months.

Richard Subtil said the AGM for Ahuriri Collective Catchment Group meeting was held a few days ago and a new chairperson elected. They now had a representative on the group from most of the catchments. The group has a facilitator and has applied for funding. They have a big project in mind, a Willowburn Enhancement Project. Will find out about funding in December. Also planning a big goose cull.

An issue was that the Benmore Irrigation Company has no TLI limits in their resource consent. They don’t have to worry about TLI until 2034. If they and Willowburn don’t have to do anything to address the issues, others are carrying the can.

Discussion took place on these matters. Individual property owners under Benmore Irrigation will have a land use consent. Questions were asked about the structure of the consents related to these properties.

The chairman said at the same time as pursuing improved controls, he also wanted to encourage understanding and learning. Members said the challenge was to get the ball moving. The chairman agreed.

A member of the public requested education on how TLI was measured. She questioned whether other factors were a better measure of water quality. She felt some of the information provided at the farmer’s meeting was misleading. Ecan scientist Shirley Hayward said nitrogen levels were driving the TLI. She offered to come to a catchment meeting for further discussion.

The chairman asked how can the committee support the catchment group to get a better understanding of the science? A workshop was suggested. Richard Subtil said the best time to act was immediately. He said the science wasn’t perfect and taking the time to change the yardstick would just see the lake getting worse while people argued.

The chairman suggested a future meeting or one-on-one. Shirley Howard said she was happy to do a one-on-one.

Ecan zone delivery lead Peter Burt introduced his plan which is available as an attachment to the minutes. It outlines the low hanging fruit in the Ahuriri area. His plan was to fold the science into this and bring it to the next farmers meeting in March.

Rick Ramsay from Mount Cook Salmon raised the issue of the increase in clarity in Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo affecting the TLI. He did not believe this was being accounted for. Shirley Hayward said scientists were currently reviewing information on this matter, that was attached to resource consent applications from Genesis and Meridian.

Tim Davie said water clarity on its own was not responsible for increasing TLI. It was water clarity combined with nutrients that caused the issues.

The chairman asked Ecan staff to follow up with Katie Milne who had worked with a catchment group elsewhere with success. He also asked for communication with the farmers to take place a couple of times between now and their next meeting in March. Murray Griffin suggested sending out a summary of the meeting to those who attended, with a thanks for attending.

Cr Aronsen said he would be writing some stories for publication in the Twizel Update on related matters.

5.2 Ecan Zone Delivery Update

This update by Peter Burt (Zone Delivery Lead, ECan) and Jess Hishon-Knowles (Senior Land Management & Biodiversity Advisor, ECan) provided the Upper Waitaki Water Zone Committee with an update on the current priorities of the ECan Zone Delivery team in the Mackenzie Basin/Te Manahuna.

Peter Burt tabled a work plan and spoke about it. He would like to map out how to make a difference in the Ahuriri catchment, in conjunction with the farmers. Discussion took place on the compliance environment and individual points in the plan. The chairman said this plan was great news and thanked Peter Burt for his work.

5.3 Love Our Lakes Campaign Update

This agenda item provided the Zone Committee with the opportunity to confirm the approach to the 2023/24 Love Our Lakes campaign. It came from Heather McCarron, Communications and Engagement Advisor.

Heather McCarron spoke to her report. She asked the committee if they wanted to spend money on a professional person to set up a Facebook page and promote engagement. Cr Aronsen said he has experience in this area and was happy to set up and moderate a Facebook page for nothing.

The chairman said spending a bit of money up front would ensure more followers at the start. It could be a one-off cost. Was there someone local who could do this? Heather McCarron agreed to look for a local provider. Ideas on how to increase outreach on Facebook were shared.

The committee agreed that $1200 a month for four months for the Facebook page was too expensive. They asked staff to find someone in the community who could do it for less money. No amount was specified.

Regarding the Love our Lakes giveaways, the idea was to give the harbourmasters something to give to boaties. The branded phone bags were good for this.

Discussion took place on the events that members could attend to hand out the giveaways. They agreed to attend the Salmon and Wine Festival and Swim Ruataniwha. But not the rowing champs.

Proposed spend on the giveaways was agreed as listed in the report. The committee agreed they were happy for the comms and engagement budget to be spent on the things outlined in the report and above.

5.4 CWMS Action Plan and Budget Update

This report was to update the committee on current proposals for the CWMS Action Plan Budget 2023/24. It also provided two reports from the Ōhau Conservation Trust on projects supported by the committee in 2021/22 (attached to the agenda).

Murray Griffin went through the matters in his report. This included accountability reports from two projects funded previously by the committee.

Member Rynee de Garnham suggested with future applications the committee should check what would be happening to trees that were removed. She noted that trees were left in heaps to rot down, when she had assumed they would be removed and mulched.

The chairman suggested emailing Viv at the Ohau Conservation Trust to come back to the committee with an explanation of why they chose that method. How do we ensure that the stockpiling of the debris doesn’t result in a new infestation of willows? An ecan staff member who was present said she was a trustee and would talk to Viv about this. John Benn from DOC assumed this was because it was the type of willow that did not regenerate.

Murray Griffin asked the committee to consider how it wanted to fund projects in future.

Discussion took place on the two possible projects being visited after today’s meeting. The planting by the Church of the Good Shepherd was on their own land. The planting by Mr Geaney was partly on council road reserve and partly on Genesis controlled lakefront. The committee agreed they were in support of both projects but would ask Mr Geaney to get permission from both MDC and Genesis.

Murray Griffin asked to do a draft amendment to the action plan and bring them back to the committee for approval.

Regarding the application for money to address Old Man’s Beard, the chairman was concerned that the committee’s money would disappear into this large zone very quickly, especially if the money was directed into the area of biosecurity.

Tim Davie said he would express concern to Ecan management that money was being spent by the committee on biosecurity and whether Ecan biosecurity money could be an alternative funding source.

Member Michael McMillan left the meeting at 12.15pm.

5.5 Zone Facilitator's Update

Murray Griffin brought attention to the documents attached to his report. He encouraged the members to register for the summit mentioned.

The chairman asked if the contact recreation water quality document could be shortened to be zone specific. Tim Davie summarised this report for the committee. Not a lot had changed and Ecan would be monitoring recreation water quality over summer.

5.6 General Business

· Meeting dates for 2024 were noted.

· Richard Subtil suggested an end of year celebration. Murray Griffin suggested doing something at the first meeting of the new year as an option.

· The first formal meeting of the committee would be held on the 16th of February. Rick Ramsay offered the use of the Mount Cook Salmon office as a location, with a barbeque for lunch.

· Richard Subtil asked if there was budget for goose control. The Ahuriri catchment group wanted to spend some existing funding on a geese control project. The chairman asked for the group to put in a funding application with an effective plan, including the disposal of the dead birds.

· Rick Ramsay said the TLI was exceeded in the Wairepo Arm this year. He was surprised the committee were not notified of this. He called for work to happen on understanding how the water flow worked in this area. A small catchment group tried to get going and needed to be re-established to address the issue. The chairman asked Murray Griffin to request a report on this to the zone committee for the February meeting.

· John Benn from DOC said the Waitaki Lake shores authority met recently. Funding for lake weed eradication from LINZ had ended. He said this work needed funding by someone. This needed to be followed up. The chairman said he would seek more information on this.

The Meeting closed at 12.45pm with a karakia, and was followed by lunch.

The minutes of this meeting were confirmed at the Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting held on .

...................................................

CHAIRPERSON

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting Agenda 16 February 2024

1.2 Interests Register

Author: Staff Report, Environment Canterbury

Authoriser:

Attachments: Nil

Staff Recommendations

That the information be noted.

Declaration of Interests Register – as at February 1, 2024

Keeping a Zone Committee Members’ declarations of interest register allows Zone Committees to identify and manage a conflict of interest when it arises.

1. The Office of the Auditor General notes a conflict of interest can arise when: “A member’s or official’s duties or responsibilities to a public entity could be affected by some other interest or duty that the member or official may have.”^{^[1]}

If a member is in any doubt as to whether or not they have a conflict of interest, then the Member should seek guidance from General Counsel, Environment Canterbury, the Zone Facilitator, and/or refer to the following guidance: https://oag.parliament.nz/2020/lamia

Types of Interest to be documented in the register:

Employment, trade or profession carried on by the Member or the Member’s spouse for profit or gain

Company, trust, partnership etc for which the Member or their spouse is a director, partner or trustee, or a shareholder of more than 10% shares

Address of any land in which the Member has a beneficial interest and which is in the area of the Zone Committee

The address of any land where the landlord is Environment Canterbury, Mackenzie District Council or Waitaki District Council and:

The Member or their spouse is a tenant;

the land is tenanted by a firm in which the Member or spouse is a partner, a company of which the Member or spouse is a director, or a Trust of which the Member or spouse is a Trustee.

Any other matters which the public might reasonably regard as likely to influence the Member’s actions during the course of their duties as a Member.

Any contracts held between the Member or the Member’s spouse and Environment Canterbury, Mackenzie District Council or Waitaki District Council. Including contracts in which the Member or their spouse is a partner, a company of which the spouse is a director and/or holds more than 10% in shares, or a Trust of which the Member or their spouse is a trustee (noting that no committee member should be a party to a contract with Environment Canterbury or the relevant TLA if that value is more than $25,000 per annum)

2. Zone Committee members are to ensure that the information contained in this register is accurate and complete.

Name	Committee Member Interests
Cr Scott Aronsen	Mackenzie District Councillor, Register of interests held by Mackenzie District Council.
Mat Bayliss	Chairs the Meridian Energy Waitaki Community Fund. Asset Maintenance Manager for Meridian Energy in Twizel. Shareholder of Meridian Energy. Consents held CRC142283.
Marcelo Carena	Independent consultant/contractor. Independent writer for the Twizel Update. Volunteer member of Mackenzie Wilding Pines Trust. Member of ECan Biodiversity Advisory Group.
Cr Brent Cowles	Waitaki District Councillor, Register of interests held by Waitaki District Council
Rynee de Garnham	Te Rūnanga o Waihao.
Michael McMillan	Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua.
Richard Subtil	Farmer and irrigator in Omarama catchment. Member of Omarama Stream Water Users Group. Committee member of Omarama Airfield. Resource consents CRC010693.1, CRC010694, CRC010727.2, CRC110202, CRC122382, CRC174573, CRC194088, CRC194520, CRC203348.
Adriana Theobold	No interests.
Cr Nick Ward	Environment Canterbury Councillor, Register of interests held by Environment Canterbury.

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting Agenda 16 February 2024

1.3 Ahuriri Catchment Farmer Engagement - Review and Next Steps

Author: Staff Report, Environment Canterbury

Authoriser:

Attachments: Nil

Purpose of Report

This agenda item provides the Zone Committee with the opportunity to discuss the Ahuriri catchment Farmer’s meeting, hosted by the committee, on Thursday 26 October in Omarama.

The focus of this discussion will be on the next steps confirmed at the 26 October meeting, and how the committee can support the farmers in this catchment to develop a collaborative approach to lessen environmental impacts in the catchment and on Lake Benmore.

Staff Recommendations

1. That the Upper Waitaki Zone Committee confirms how it can best support further engagement with Ahuriri Catchment Farmers towards collective action to address the TLI trend as monitored for Lake Benmore.

Background

Since the committee met in November 2023, a short letter was sent in mid-December to all the Ahuriri Catchment farmers who had attended or expressed an interest in being engaged. The letter confirmed the following key points:

Key actions to March 2024

· An assessment of cumulative impacts on the Lake for the catchment.

· Developing a risk profile at catchment scale – what/where are the priority areas?

· Consent renewal – developing a better approach and alignment in the catchment.

Key messages from the 26 October Ahuriri Farmers catchment meeting

On the water quality in the Lake

· Algal biomass is relatively high over the last 5 years (all Lake Benmore sites)

- Related to increased catchment loading of nitrogen & Climate.

· The Trophic Level Index (TLI) is likely to continue increasing.

· It’s not too late – it’s very difficult and expensive to fix a degraded lake. Lake Benmore Ahuriri Arm is not at that stage yet.

On farm nutrient management – in a sensitive lake catchment

· Majors – Intensive Winter Grazing (IWG), wintering, stock access to water.

· Act Now – Look in FEPs & Audits for info, reduce load off your farm.

· Create a Plan – focus on water connectivity, stock access, soil sampling, critical source area management.

On IWG – what to do now?

· Work out where you fit within the regulations – permitted, or consent needed?

· Prepare your IWG Management Plan.

· Make a plan for how to meet new regulations.

· Check out “Farmers Hub” website –

Farmers' hub | Environment Canterbury (ecan.govt.nz)

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting Agenda 16 February 2024

1.4 Ecan Zone Delivery Update

Author: Staff Report, Environment Canterbury

Authoriser:

Attachments: Nil

Purpose of Report

This update by Peter Burt (Zone Delivery Lead, ECan) and Jess Hishon-Knowles (Senior Land Management & Biodiversity Advisor, ECan) will provide the Upper Waitaki Water Zone Committee with an update on the current priorities of the ECan Zone Delivery team in the Mackenzie Basin/Te Manahuna.

Staff Recommendations

1. That the report be received.

Background

ECan Zone Delivery Update – February 2024

ECan Twizel Office Staff – Working to deliver improved environmental standards in the catchments in the Upper Waitaki zone.

Roles and responsibilities:

- Peter Burt leads the project and directly the Twizel team who deliver compliance and land management function.

- Regional farming and Implementation teams are supporting catchment relations, nutrient management, farming technical advice.

Ahuriri Catchment Project Update – Shane Gilmer, Jess Hishon-Knowles and Peter Burt (along with other key team members at Environment Canterbury) to increase resources to raise the bar in the Upper Waitaki Mackenzie District, to deliver water quality outcomes.

Stock in Waterways – Ongoing concern throughout the catchment. Linked in with general issues of non-compliance that unfortunately do not link in with Good Management Practices on farm.

Farm Environment Plans – Review process, how this works on the ground and the audit process for the properties that are due to have this done.

Consenting Update – An overview on Permitted Activity Rules and the definitions of Extensive vs Intensive Consent Renewals to be progressed in the next 18 months.

Where to from here – Landowner engagement and future workshops (end of March, May, Spring and early December). Discussion around the future of Catchment Groups in the basin.

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting Agenda 16 February 2024

1.6 Love Our Lakes Campaign - Interim Update

Author: Staff Report, Environment Canterbury

Authoriser:

Attachments: Nil

Purpose of Report

This agenda item from Kate Doran, principal communications and engagement advisor, provides the Zone Committee with an interim update on the 2023/24 Love Our Lakes campaign and requests funding from the Action Plan to support resourcing ongoing activities.

Staff Recommendations

1. That the report be received.

2. That the Upper Waitaki water zone committee agrees to the use of $1,415 from the CWMS Action Plan Budget 2023/24 for the resourcing of the initial set-up, training, and then four months of management for a Love Our Lakes Facebook page for the remainder of this summer’s campaign.

3. That the committee discusses the Love Our Lake Facebook zone committee member guidelines.

Background

The Upper Waitaki Water Zone Committee has been leading yearly Love Our Lakes campaigns since 2016. This campaign has been funded from the zone committee’s yearly communications budget provided by Environment Canterbury.

Approach

This season’s campaign is focused on general Love our Lakes messaging through local advertising and visibility of the brand at local events through sponsorship. At the last meeting it was agreed to supply at least two events with tote bags and stickers to help spread the key messages to people already in the target areas. More details of the campaign, including advertising and signage, are available in the previous meeting’s agenda paper.

Update on activity

A full update on the campaign will be provided at the end of the season but, so far, the collateral has been well-received and used at Swim Ruataniwha and The Rock Boaties Breakfast.

Love Our Lakes Facebook page

The committee has started a Love Our Lakes Facebook page to complement its messaging. Establishing this page properly will take considerable time, resource and expertise so a locally-based contractor has been approached to undertake this task, and also provide training and advice to the zone committee members, who are learning how to become page administrators. This initial set up cost has been funded by the zone committee communications budget ($985).

The communications budget is now allocated for this year, as it is covering other aspects of the Love Our Lakes campaign – as well as advertising about the committee throughout the year - so it is recommended that the zone committee uses Action Plan funding to cover four further months of Facebook management, at a cost of $1415. The ultimate goals of the Facebook page align with the committee’s Action Plan, which specifically mentions ‘supporting and enhancing our Love Our Lakes Campaign’.

Facebook training and guidelines

Over the next few months, key zone committee members will receive training and assistance with administrating the page. Environment Canterbury staff will provide support as needed. Some brief guidelines for the Love Our Lakes Facebook page are recommended. More detailed training will be provided if requested.

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting Agenda 16 February 2024

1.7 Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Update

Author: Staff Report, Environment Canterbury

Authoriser:

Attachments: Nil

Purpose of Report

This update is provided by Rick Ramsay, Environmental Manager Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Ltd. Rick will present an overview of the environmental management programme with a particular focus on its relationship to freshwater management and the monitoring undertaken.

Staff Recommendations

1. That the report be received.

Background

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon (MCAS)

· The MCAS farms are located within a network of continuously flowing waterways, which connect three alpine lakes. These lakes support New Zealand’s largest renewable hydro scheme.

The Salmon

· King Salmon (Chinook) were introduced into local rivers from the Sacramento River 100 years ago. The fish Mt Cook farms today are direct descendants of this original North American stock.

· The Salmon are rich in healthy Omega-3, have a clean, subtle taste and delicate texture. They are free from growth hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics.

· Swimming against ice-cold, constantly flowing currents, keeps the salmon healthy and lean, with fine intra-muscular fat lines.

Operations

· The fish are raised under environmentally sustainable farming practices across three farms.

· Not only are the salmon cared for 24/7 at the farms, MCAS also operates its own hatchery and processing plant. This vertically integrated business model, means MCAS actively manages each step ensuring the final product is the best it can be.

Feed

· MCAS feed specification delivers a balance of fish oil, fish meal and proteins. Only premium feed from a trusted international supplier is used; all feed is sustainable and certified GM free. The proprietary natural feed is formulated to minimize the depletion of feeder fish in the ocean.

· MCAS prefers to feed the fish by hand. It’s a chance to observe and respond to their needs and helps ensure they are fed to correct nutritional levels.

Sustainability

· MCAS was the first salmon farm in Australasia to receive Best Aquaculture Practice Certification by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.

· In 2015, Monterey Bay Aquarium has awarded MCAS with a ‘Best Choice’ green rating – acknowledgement of their environmentally responsible practices. In its written report MCAS's Freshwater King Salmon operation received the highest points ranking of any salmon farm in the world.

· Each year our farms are audited by the esteemed Swiss-based Institute for Market Ecology to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

· Sustainability is embedded in the MCAS culture, extending from fish husbandry to their care for the environment in which they farm. MCAS's proprietary natural feed is formulated to have minimal impact on the wild feeder fish in our oceans.

· MCAS is always careful to feed to nutrition and not to maximum weight gain. It’s just good practice. But for us sustainability goes much further. It’s about adopting the highest work safety regimes, engaging positively with our local communities, building our social license, caring for their staff and exploring ways to redefine “best practice”.

· MCAS's processing plant is regularly audited by the New Zealand Government’s exporting agency and retains the highest-ranking accreditation.

Upper Waitaki Zone Water Management Committee Meeting Agenda 16 February 2024

1.8 CWMS Facilitator's Report

Author: Staff Report, Environment Canterbury

Authoriser:

Attachments: Nil

Staff Recommendations

That the report be received.

Purpose of Report

This report is from Murray Griffin, interim CWMS Facilitator, Environment Canterbury.

This report provides information that may be of interest to the Zone Committee that is not covered elsewhere in the agenda.

1. Environment Canterbury Updates

1.1 CWMS Zone Committee Review

The following update is provided on the 2024 CWMS Zone Committee Review.

Update for Zone Committee members – February 2024

At its meeting in August 2023, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum agreed to a review of Zone Committees to enable and support local leadership and ownership of freshwater management issues into the future.

Environment Canterbury has commenced planning the 2024 zone committee review. This review will focus on what structure, function and resourcing are needed to support local freshwater leadership into the future.

The CWMS is underpinned by a collaborative approach between Environment Canterbury, territorial authorities, Ngāi Tahu, sector groups and communities. While the aim is to keep this review simple, it will reflect this collaborative ethos by engaging with key stakeholders under the auspices of the Canterbury Mayoral Forum (as the ‘owner’ of the CWMS).

The review’s objectives are to answer the following main questions:

a. What local freshwater leadership is required in the future?

b. For which actions will key partners (Environment Canterbury, Territorial Authorities and mana whenua) need local leadership to deliver freshwater management outcomes in the future?

c. What resourcing is required to support local leadership?

Environment Canterbury is leading the review and will report back to the Mayoral Forum, following engagement with Mayors, zone committee members, and mana whenua representatives. Please refer to Table 1 below for key actions and milestones.

Table 1: Zone Committee review – key actions and milestones

August 2023	Mayoral Forum agrees to a review of Zone Committees
December 2023	Initial engagement with Zone Committee Chairs and Deputies
February – April 2024	Engagement with Zone Committees, Mayors, mana whenua and other key partners
May 2024	Preliminary report to Mayoral Forum and agreement to next steps
August 2024	Progress update to Mayoral Forum
November 2024	Final report with recommended options for Mayoral Forum decision

Please liaise with your zone committee facilitator to provide feedback on the proposed approach and discuss how to best involve your committee in this review. We look forward to working closely with you over the coming months.

1.2 Water and Land Committee Meetings

Please find the link below for the Environment Canterbury Water and Land Committee meetings, with the next meeting to be held on Wednesday 13 March 2024.

The Water and Land Committee Meeting agendas can be viewed and downloaded from this link:

Council and committee meetings: Current month | Environment Canterbury (ecan.govt.nz)

2. UWZC – CWMS Action Plan Budget 2023/24

The committee’s Facilitator, Murray Griffin, will provide an update on the CWMS Action Plan Budget for 2023/24. This update will incorporate an update on the projects already supported by the committee, and the discussions held by the committee at this meeting on possible projects/initiatives that could be supported from the $75,000 available in this financial year.

3. UWZC Meeting Schedule for 2024

The following meeting dates are proposed for the committee in 2024. It’s possible that some of these sessions could be held as either meetings, workshops, briefings, or fieldtrips.

Upper Waitaki Zone Committee Meeting Schedule for 2024.

Note: All meeting dates are Fridays – 3^rd of the Month.

· February 16

· March 15

· April 19

· May 17

· June 21

· July 19

· August 16

· September 20

· October 18

· November 15

Fin.

[1] Office of the Auditor General Good Practice Guide – Managing Conflicts of Interest: Guidance for public entities