Mrs Dean has already announced the formation of the Mackenzie Sustainable Futures Trust and wants to discuss details so an application for funding can be made by February 14 to the Ministry for the Environment's community environment fund.
She believes the trust can resolve issues facing the upper Waitaki area above Lake Benmore through a range of groups working together.
The trust follows Minister for the Environment Nick Smith's insistence that solutions be locally driven.
Details of the meeting at Twizel on February 10 and 11, along with more information about how the trust could operate and possible members, are in an agenda for an extraordinary meeting of the Waitaki District Council on Tuesday.
The council is being asked to make decisions on a list of issues to be discussed at the Twizel meeting.
Invited to that meeting are environmental organisations (including Forest and Bird, Mackenzie Guardians and Environmental Defence Society), Federated Farmers, Meridian Energy, Genesis Energy, Fonterra, irrigation company representatives, community boards in the area, Ngai Tahu, Central South Island Fish and Game Council, Mackenzie and Waitaki District Councils, Environment Canterbury and government departments.
Others may be allowed to attend, particularly landowners and local people.
Mrs Dean has proposed trustees for the new trust should include herself, Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton and Mackenzie Mayor Claire Barlow, with others appointed in the future.
The trust would seek funding for the collaborative process, manage and account for those funds, contract a chairman agreed to by participants, use consultants as needed and find a way to resolve disputed issues of process and procedure which may arise.
The main work would be done by a working party, hoped to number no more than 20 members, made up of participating organisations. There would also be a non-voting role for active participation by central, regional and local government agencies, along with scientific and advisory bodies which could bring knowledge, expertise and experience to the process.
The aim would be for the working party to represent the various communities of interest, culminating in agreement.
The working party would work alongside Environment Canterbury's upper Waitaki zone committee, set up under the Canterbury water management strategy to develop a water management implementation programme for the area.
Participants in the working party would have to commit to the "shared vision process". Under that, participants may not necessarily support a negotiated compromise position but must not oppose it if it is adopted by the group.
The meeting at Twizel is looking for agreement on. -
• The scope of work for the working party.
• Participants for the working party.
• A chairman for the process.
• A basis for good faith discussions.
• Trustees for the trust.
• The duration of the process.
On the last issue, suggestions have ranged from a speedy resolution by the end of September to seek pledges from political parties before the general election on November 26, a year, or a compromise of November 30.
