Critical time for water

MURRAY RODGERS

It is clear from recent public gatherings and correspondence in The Press that a significant sector of the Canterbury public has been angered by the Government's recent legislation.

But before we go too far down the road to planned civil unrest, such as being advocated by John Minto (The Press April 27) we might reflect on the context of what is happening.

The rural sector, Environment Canterbury, previous governments and an apathetic and unaware public have led our region into its present water management predicament, characterised by dewatering of our lowland streams, and growing contamination of both surface and groundwaters, which substantially limits recreational options and threatens contamination of the region's drinking water in many areas.

Despite recent increasing efforts, ECan struggled to achieve real traction in ensuring environmentally sustainable development of agriculture because for many years it failed to recognise the scale of the emerging problem and also lacked the necessary legislative support.

Repeated requests for the power to implement moratoriums on new consents to take water for irrigation, from around four years ago by ECan (and from several years earlier by the Water Rights Trust), fell on the deaf ears of the government of the day.

The Environment Court's interpretation of the Resource Management Act meant that the gold-rush mentality for water could not be contained in any coherent framework.

And throughout these years, the behaviours that are causing mounting contamination of our waters continued to expand.

ECan's Natural Resources Regional Plan, which contains our regional water plan, was promised mid-2001, but it is a major failing of ECan's performance that it is still in the wings.

Simply doing our best under existing mindsets is clearly not enough while our water problems continue to mount. The destruction must not only be stopped; it must be reversed. The main issue for our region is not yet about growth or no growth in the rural sector.

Neither is it about whether a short-term diminishing of democratic process is a bad idea.

It is about whether we can find the collective will to take the hard decisions in the best interests of those who will follow us. It is about whether we can move from undisciplined growth to environmentally sustainable growth.

If that is too hard, then we need to reconsider the direction of growth and adjust our standard of living expectations accordingly. For, as the results of a survey published by Lincoln University in August 2008 show, the alternative of living with polluted waterways and aquifers is unacceptable for most of us, regardless of the dollar benefits.

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS), which has been under development for much of this period, is the one bright light that continues to shine on the horizon.

This achievement is profoundly significant for the collaborative work among recreationists, the rural sector, Maori and environmentalists, especially as the vision and principles of the CWMS are now embodied in the new temporary legislation.

Much of the credit for the emergence of the CWMS in its present form must go to ECan chief executive Dr Bryan Jenkins.

The Government has broken the shackles that have locked our region on its present path to disaster not in the way many of us feel comfortable with, but it does offer the opportunity for a new start, based on the CWMS.

Canterbury is at a point in its history where wise, bold and decisive action is necessary. The job of the ECan commissioners is to provide that quality of leadership by ensuring that the CWMS content and processes are rigorously upheld and built upon.

Critical issues yet to be resolved, and probably requiring further support from the Government, include confirming the infrastructure plan for the region, imposing a volume-related levy on water to meet the costs of environmental restoration and financing infrastructure, resolving Maori concerns, integrating with the Land and Water Forum recommendations, dealing with the ongoing processing of consents independent of CWMS processes that have the potential to block or divert the way to the most efficient and effective results, and controlling contamination by strong land- management disciplines.

But the path ahead is by no means clear-cut.

Our grave concerns about the changes to Water Conservation Order (WCO) legislation specific to Canterbury have placed the Water Rights Trust in the position of knowing that the CWMS is the only real way forward, but that we cannot support it if it were to become primarily a vehicle to access relatively unlimited water from our rivers.

We also know that if we do withdraw our support, we would be helping to open the gate wider for those developers prepared to exploit our natural resources beyond environmentally sustainable limits for profit.

So the Water Rights Trust has decided to stay on board with the CWMS, and to work with others of like mind to ensure that the standards set under existing national WCO provisions are not breached, in addition to our efforts in helping to ensure adequate standards in other areas.

Right now, we are pressing through the CWMS for more detailed information on the alternative means for providing water to North Canterbury farmers that does not require dams on the Hurunui River.

We also need to know the alternative means for providing water for Central Plains Water (CPW) and other irrigation schemes to avoid increased run-of-river extraction from the Rakaia and Waimakariri rivers.

We are also exploring through the CWMS the timing and extent of moratoriums that should apply to existing consent applications by Hurunui Water Project and CPW and others while finality is reached on the regional plumbing plan and contamination control disciplines.

The legacy of unpolluted water for our grandkids to splash around in at the river, and to be able to enjoy our magnificent high-country waterways, protected as far as possible in their natural state, is at least as important as being able to update their iPod.

At this stage, we have a glimmer of hope that just maybe we can still get this right through the CWMS. If that hope fades, then a bleak and bitter future awaits us all.

* Murray Rodgers is chairman of the Water Rights Trust, waterrightstrust.org.nz; member of the steering group for the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, canterburywater.org.nz; and author of Canterbury's Wicked Water; politics, progress and prosperity imperilled.

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