Te Waihora/Ellesmere Catchment Regional Water Plan An Introduction for the Selwyn/Waihora Water Management Zone Committee Lynda Weastell Murchison Principal Planning & Consents Advisor 06 April 2011

Contents Introduction to catchment & issues Why a regional water plan? What will be covered in the plan? How will the plan affect other activities? Role of Zone Committee Timeframe

Te Waihora/Ellesmere Catchment

Catchment Characteristics cont… Mix of ephemeral, braided and springfed waterways. Ground and surface water very strongly linked, hills & plains Influence of Rakaia and Waimakairi rivers. Localised rainfall recharge (except Rakaia/Waimakariri sub-areas) Variable mean annual rainfall: 560mm at coast to mm foothills. Estimated 346.3million m 3 /yr of groundwater - currently managed two allocation zones: -Rakaia-Selwyn (215 million m 3 /yr) -Selwyn-Waimakariri (131.9 million m 3 /yr).

Catchment Characteristics contcont… Land area ha ( ha plains & ha foothills) Foothills nw, impermeable rock strata – water resource is surface water. Plains 600m thick gravel aprons - water resource is ground water with surface gains & losses. Some surface run-off in high rainfall events. Banks Peninsula, impermeable rock – water resource is surface water. Land uses dominantly agricultural – water demand is irrigation & stock/domestic water Small settlements: community/town water supplies & some industrial supply

Catchment Issues… Dry summer conditions and regular droughts limit potential agricultural productivity Demand for water for irrigation increased substantially in last 20 years (5- fold increase in resource consents issued since 1985) Demand for irrigation water continues, not all land areas have access to gw or reliable sw, and amount of gw allocated exceeds allocation limits. Both anecdotal and recorded evidence of changes in fw bodies, including: -Increased extent and frequency of drying reaches in ephemeral streams; -Increased low flow periods in springfed streams; -Reduced water quality in some water bodies; and -Loss of reliability in some shallow wells.

Why do we need a Catchment Water Plan? NRRP -Provides for a catchment-specific approach (Var 10 for min flows for some of the Te Waihora/Ellesmere catchment). -Has region-wide provisions apply in the absence of specific catchment rules. -Region-wide provisions not suited to all catchments – eg, split management of groundwater & surface water. -New challenges to water management in some areas, eg need to allocate water to activities or areas. -Building a planning framework using region-wide provisions where a consistent approach is appropriate and catchment-specific ones, where required. -Fits CWMS model.

Where the Plan Applies

What the Plan Addresses Stage 1 Immediate steps regulatory what need to do now to avoid increasing adverse effects. Stage 2 Future management of the catchment Where want to get to & how going to do it: - With more water; - Without more water Stage 3 Lake & catchment management - Combining it all

What the Plan Addresses Stage 1 What we know & don’t know Issues & priority Manage additional allocation & use - now Stage 2 Where would we like to get to – goal scenarios? Costs & benefits – management scenarios What can we achieve – with & without additional water Stage 3 Combining the catchment Managing additional water in catchment & effects; Managing inputs into Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere

How the Plan Manages Water Key Points Water is one resource: - Plains; all as groundwater - Hills; all as surface water Focus: -Catchment down to the lake - inputs into the lake -Quantity, quality & land uses Simplify & rationalise – use of key/indicator water bodies -Setting flows & quality stds -Monitoring sites -Manage relative to functions & values

How the Plan Affects Other Activities WCO Plan cannot be inconsistent with WCO New activities Must comply from time plan is notified Plan rules can include timing. Existing activities Expiry. Consent conditions - operative Plan can indicate if & when

Role of the Zone Committee Scoping plan Paper to May meeting Tech findings & topic recommendations Developing Plan & Consultation Committee may choose different level at different stages. Stage 1 options – May Statutory Process No Zone Committee involvement. (Individual members submissions)

Timeframe Annual Plan Measures -Stage 1 – approved for notification July Stage 2 – approved for notification July 2012 Stage 1 – Timeframe pre 22/02/11 (to be revised) -Preliminary technical investigations - January Peer review & follow up - Feb Report to Zone Committee - March Community consultation April-May Draft plan presented to ZC – June Draft plan approved for notification by Regional Council July 2011