Christchurch rally to back ECan water management

A public rally has been called in Christchurch to tell the Government management of Canterbury's water must remain in local hands.

The rally is planned by a coalition of Canterbury groups and individuals after a Government report recommended the Environment Canterbury (ECan) regional council be sacked, replaced by a commissioner and water management be handed to an appointed Canterbury Water Management Authority.

ECan's water management fell well short of what was essential and required rapid intervention by the Government, the report said.

The rally is to show the Government there is strong public opposition to ending local management of the region's water.

An umbrella group - Canterbury: Our Water (COW) - has planned the rally in Victoria Sq from 12.15pm on Monday. Group spokeswoman Rosalie Snoyink, of Dunsandel, said yesterday Monday was the day Cabinet was expected to release its decision on ECan's future.

"We in Canterbury have every reason to be very concerned. The report was done very rapidly and without public mandate," she said.

While there were a variety of views about ECan's water management, COW believed most people supported the principle that Cantabrians, elected by Cantabrians, must continue to manage water.

Speakers at the rally will include ECan councillors, concerned residents and groups across the region from the Hurunui to the Waitaki. Politicians from the main political parties had been invited to speak.

"We believe the principle of Canterbury managing its own water should get support across all political parties and interest groups" she said.

One very real fear was a Government-appointed authority would accelerate water allocation to further dairy farming in Canterbury, without appropriate environmental checks, to meet Government goals of rapid economic growth.

Further development without the environmental safeguards ECan provided, would lead to a continued, rapid decline in water quality in rivers and drinking water, she said.

• Labour Party water spokesman Brendon Burns told Radio New Zealand yesterday he understood former prime minister Dame Jenny Shipley would be confirmed on Monday as commissioner to oversee the council.

But Environment Minister Nick Smith said no decision had been made, and the Government was still working through the issue, NZPA reported.