1. 1 Ian Brown Environment Canterbury ZONE COMMITTEES, COLLABORATION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOURCE LIMITS IN CANTERBURY NZARM Conference Hamilton - 20 th October 2015

2. Outline Some context CWMS LWRP Sub-regional planning process Zone Implementation 2

3. About Canterbury... Canterbury has: Allocated 60% of total water allocated in New Zealand; 70% of New Zealand’s irrigated area (about 600,000ha); About 8,000 water take consents (majority for groundwater); About 250,000 ha of dairying (average herd size > 800 cows) Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury Largest region in New Zealand (45,300 km 2 ; population 563,000) Environment Canterbury has about 540 staff Government replaced elected councillors with commissioners in 2010 (at request of Canterbury Mayors).

4. Situation in 2008 Water use, irrigated area & intensive land use substantially increased in previous 10-15 years. Stream flows decreasing. Nitrate levels rising. RMA planning & consenting “lose-lose” Got to be a better way!

5. Origins in 1999 Canterbury Strategic Water Study 2008 Canterbury Mayoral Forum took ownership Endorsed by all Councils – Nov 2009-Feb 2010 Vision and Principles Targets –what to be achieved 2015, 2020 and 2040 Concept of parallel development Local and regional committees The CWMS

6. Ecosystem health/biodiversity Natural character of braided rivers Kaitiakitanga Drinking water Recreational & amenity opportunities Water-use efficiency Irrigated land area Energy security and efficiency Regional and national economies Environmental limits TARGETS cover all values. Operationalising parallel development

7. Water Management Committees Develop strategies, (ZIPs) to give effect to the CWMS. Joint committees of District Councils & Regional Council Each committee seeks to develop solutions for its own zone Facilitate community involvement & debate Councils have to approve ZIPs Serviced by ECan and the local councils

8. Working together with mana whenua

9. Regional plan framework (nutrient limits) Regional and sub-region approaches: –Regional - default “Hold the line, limited increase” Meet good management practice loss rates for nitrate and phosphorus Plan partially operative – August 2015 –Sub-region sections of plan, community-led Two sub-regions completed; five in progress!

10. CWMS Collaborative Community Process Community outcomes/values to deliver CWMS vision & targets; NPS FM Community outcomes/values to deliver CWMS vision & targets; NPS FM Community develops & assesses options Community water management solutions package RMA planning process Operative Plan (then implementation) Operative Plan (then implementation) Non- statutory actions Work programmes (then implementation) Work programmes (then implementation) Zone Committee led. Assess current state & scenarios using technical indicators & modelling (economic, social, cultural, environmental). Solutions package emerges. Endorsed by Councils as basis for plan drafting & work programmes Zone Implementation Programmes ( ZIP ) On-the-ground action

11. Progress in Canterbury 2010 ‒ 2015

12. INFORM CONSULT EMPOWER INVOLVE COLLABORATE To provide balanced & objective information to assist stakeholders understand problems, alternatives, solutions To obtain feedback on analysis, alternatives, decisions To work directly with stakeholders throughout process to ensure concerns & aspirations are understood & considered To partner with community catchment representatives in the decision, including developing alternatives & preferred solution To place final decision- making in hands of stakeholders Environment Canterbury Commissioners have committed to running with Zone Committee’s recommendations provided these are reached through consensus and with strong engagement. What “Collaboration” means in CWMS

13. Collaboration challenges Collaborative planning is not without its challenges. Challenges which include: Changing mindsets from working to the RMA to making the RMA work for the community Retaining the essence of the community agreed solution process through the RMA process Some people or organisations won’t, don’t or can’t collaborate

14. Zone Implementation “The Minister rightly said a lot of nice things, but he also reminded us it wasn’t over – we’re very much at the start of this journey, something we all need to be mindful of as we move into the next stage of establishing our Zone Teams.” Bill Bayfield (October 2015) ECan is in the process of setting up six multidisciplinary zone teams charged with delivering what the zone committees want. Rest of the organisation realigned to support what happens in the zones.

15. Zone Implementation (cont.) “The tremendous strength of the ZIP delivery model through locally based Zone Teams is that, in doing things this way, we empower the community to determine its own course of action through a collaborative process. Our job shifts from having to be the ones who have all the solutions (because ‘we know it all’) to designing the framework that the community needs to enact their own solutions – that’s where we add real value. We need each other – the essence of whanaungatanga. None of us is as good as all of us.” Bill Bayfield (October 2015)

16. Fitting it all together Focus on delivering on the zone committees 5 year outcomes

17. It is people He aha te mea nui I te ao Maku e ki atu He tangata, he tangata He tangata hei What is the most important thing in the world I will say It is people, it is people It is people

18. QUESTIONS?