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1. Kaipara
   User Profile

   The Government’s latest move to undermine water conservation makes a mockery of the national forum on water management reform ! They were the last to know what was going on !

   The legislation to replace EnvCant included reducing the statutory protection of our rivers to open them up for more dams and irrigation. So much for Nick Smith’s promise to set up a process with stakeholders and iwi that reflected collaborative environmental governance !!

   So much for the Nats and their Bluegreens vision. What a sick joke !

   And apparently changing the law on water conservation orders wasn’t needed to fix the EnvCanty problems. It was the Government’s “collaborative” way of smuggling in a new law.

   First mining in National Parks, now all our rivers can be dammed and drained as well !

   Even the Bluegreens’ Guy Salmon is waking up and getting a bit narked at the process. See his rave at this link.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3548514/Changes-anger-govt-adviser

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. kauri
   User Profile

   The loss of the democratically elected ECan board is another nail in the coffin of community involvement in decisions about our most precious resorces !

   In Canterbury they don't even know the size of the resource in the underground acquifers. How much take is too much ? Dairy farms are huge consumers of water for stock and irrigation, but the available resource is limited and not enough study has been done about the capacity of the rivers and aquifers to sustain this huge increase in draw-down.

   Dairy farms in canterbury have increased something like 67% in the last decade. That's a huge increase. If management of our scarce water resource is left to govt appointed commissioners, there will be no stopping the farmer dominated take with zero input from community stakeholders. All of the rest of us !

   And canty dairy farms have one of the highest rates of pollutiion in the country - one in six farms already fail to treat toxic runoff - wouldn't want to be a resident taking water downstream !

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. Kaipara
   User Profile

   Absolutely !

   Back in August 2007, the then Labour Government acknowledged that continued intensification of dairy farming like that in Canterbury was posing a threat to public health through its effect on drinking water.

   The Canterbury Medical Officer of Health, Dr Alistair Thompson, said then that the Canterbury Plains Water scheme that aimed to irrigate 60,000 hectares of farm land for dairy farming, had the potential to cause significant health problems. 

He said that a study by ESR showed a clear link between intensive dairy farming practises, contaminated drinking water and sickness.

   In particular contamination of drinking water by campylobacter, cryptosporidium and E. Coli was a real risk to health, identified by the report. And NZ has one of the highest rates of campylobacter in the developed world ! 

Just one of the many problems as a result of the expansion and intensification of dairying in areas like Canterbury.

   Posted 1 year ago #

4. Kaipara
   User Profile

   Latest news is that the Government is going to use our taxpayer funds to subsidise Canterbury agribusiness - specifically loss-making irrigation schemes in Canterbury.

   The Government is apparently open to funding irrigation schemes in Canterbury providing all the commercial solutions have been exhausted !

   They are saying that if there is no commercial reason for an irrigation scheme to proceed, then the Government may subsidise it with taxpayers’ money anyway.

   That means agribusiness gets singled out for taxpayer subsidies because they have the Government’s patronage !!? The big dairy factories will benefit most.

   The people of New Zealand and Canterbury will lose out because our rivers will be drained and polluted so that these dairy factories can succeed.

   And apparently the legislation to eliminate Canterbury’s regional democracy was driven by business irrigation interests. Surprise surprise !!

   The Government rolled Ecan because it and the water conservation orders messed with their plans for agribusiness welfare !

   This was never a part of the Government's public mandate !!

   Posted 1 year ago #

5. Mandy
   Administrator

   Gosh, tonight's panel discussion is going to be fiery one -

   Public Meeting: "Our City - Otautahi" A panel discussion on local democracy and Canterbury's water.
   Location: cnr Worcester Blvd & Oxford Terrace, Christchurch
   When: Tonight Wednesday 14/04/2010 - 7:30pm

   Panelists:
   Chris Todd, South Island Conservation Manager for Forest & Bird
   Russel Norman MP, Green Party spokesperson on water
   Sue Kedgley MP, Green Party spokesperson on local government
   Dr Ali Memon, Lincoln University expert on governance of natural resources
   Eugenie Sage, ECan Councillor
   Garry Jackson, Hurunui District Mayor, Canterbury Water Management Strategy

   Posted 1 year ago #

6. kauri
   User Profile

   and entertaining !!

   pity it's not televised then - hope the media does good cover

   Posted 1 year ago #

7. kauri
   User Profile

   still waiting for to read that good media coverage ????

   Posted 1 year ago #

8. Kaipara
   User Profile

   I found some here ... http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/04/15/strong-reaction-against-ecan-sacking/

   and here ... http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2010/04/15/ecan-and-the-demise-of-democracy/

   but not here !!

   http://nationalmps.co.nz/NationalNews/NewsArticle/tabid/233/Default.aspx?ArticleID=1423

   Surprised much !?

   Posted 1 year ago #

9. Kaipara
   User Profile

   And only a skerrig of information here at;

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/3583540/Crowd-overflows-meeting-venue

   and an interesting perspective here at;

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/3579941/Breach-of-democracy

   And apparently there is another meeting for those who missed out ... tonight at the Arts Centre ...

   Posted 1 year ago #

10. matata
    User Profile

    Does anyone know where we're at with the Hurunui Water Conservation Order now that it's been taken away from the Environment Court?

    Posted 1 year ago #

11. Piwakawaka
    User Profile

    For any of you Cantabrians still horrified by the sacking of democratically elected represenatives on ECAN, and the appointment of commissioners (many with dairy farming and water interests), and more importantly the rolling over of the protection of Canterbury's Nationally Outstanding rivers - you can find out more and register at this site http://www.ourwaterourvote.org.nz/cms/ which has been set up by concerned Canterbury people after a huge public meeting a couple of weeks ago.

    Posted 1 year ago #

12. Kim
    User Profile

    Cloud seeding to the rescue? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10645709

    Posted 1 year ago #

13. Piwakawaka
    User Profile

    For any concerned Cantabrians, the OurWaterOurVote coalition has got a few things on the go this week. see http://www.ourwaterourvote.org.nz

    First is a protest before John Key's 'Have your say' event at the Isaac theatre, to point out that the Canterbury people didn't get to have their say when it came to being represented by democratically elected councillors - which have since been replaced by govt appointed commissioners...

    Then on Sunday, a gathering in Cathedral Square (being hosted by the Dean of the Cathedral), with a line-up of passionate speakers, to join together for an event "Reflections on water". - would be great to see some F&B folk there - spread the word!

    There's an update on the Hurunui zonal committee situation here from the Greens http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/06/01/erosion-environmental-representation-ecan/

    The feeling of unease amongst the people of Canterbury regarding protection of their rivers, and their rights to have them represented, is palpable.

    Anyone else planning on attending?
    http://www.ourwaterourvote.org.nz

    Posted 1 year ago #

14. Em
    User Profile

    Fantastic to see that so many people turned out at the Our Water Our Vote rally in Christchurch today. Let's hope the Government is listening to what the people of Canterbury think about losing their elected regional council and their rights to natural rivers.
    Have a look here http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3807037/Hundreds-rally-to-protest-ECan-sackings

    Posted 1 year ago #

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