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Free travel period extended for Waimakariri’s new direct buses Another week of free travel is on offer on the new direct bus services from Waimakariri to central Christchurch. Transport portfolio lead Cr Phil Clearwater said that more people are returning to work next week and eager to try out the new 91 Rangiora – City…
NZAEE Seaweek 2021 Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au – Connecting with our seas. Seaweek highlights the importance and diversity of life in our marine environments, and calls on Kiwis from all walks of life to look after Tangaroa’s realm. We all contribute to taking care of our oceans for now and…
From our Chair: Rare bird colony must be protected Jenny Hughey, Chair, Environment Canterbury Several rare birds are dead after motorbike users rode through a colony of nesting black-billed gull|tarāpuka. Last week, a group of motorbike users rode through a colony of rare black-billed gull|tarāpuka in the Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park, sadly killing ten of them….
Have your say on proposed future housing developments Land rezoning for new housing developments in Rolleston, Rangiora and Kaiapoi is currently being considered to meet future demand, as part of a public consultation. Growth scenarios for the region have found that capacity for housing development in Selwyn and Waimakariri districts may not be sufficient to…
Pilot aims to address odour issue in Washdyke We are rolling out a pilot project throughout February to gather better odour information and data in the Washdyke and northern Timaru area. The aim is to reduce odour reaching beyond business boundaries and the impact this can have on residents. Smelt it? Report it From 1…
January update: Kaikōura Zone Delivery Manager We blinked and it was Christmas, another blink and now we’re in a new year! I hope you all had a safe and happy time over the holiday period whether at home, work or away. Pollution polls Our office was closed over Christmas and New Year, with Rach and…
Recycling farm plastics in Kaikōura Burning or burying farm plastics can cause ongoing issues for the environment, human health, and future generations of farmers. We understand it can be difficult to know what to do with farm plastics, so this information is to help you know how you can do the right thing by recycling…
From our Chair: Urban Water Jenny Hughey, Chair, Environment Canterbury As we look 2021 in the eye, it’s hard to imagine how it might pan out, given last year’s experiences. Who, at this time last year, would have predicted 2020 to unfold the way it did? It is quite natural for us to look ahead…
Goughs Bay fantastic for conservation Haley fence ‘back’ block to be fenced first Two forested stream gullies on a sheep and beef farm on Banks Peninsula will be fenced to protect water quality and biodiversity. The Goughs Bay ‘Hayley fence’ project will receive more than $15,000 of Immediate Steps (IMS) biodiversity funding over the next…
High cyanobacteria levels in Lake Clearwater The Canterbury District Health Board has issued a health warning for Lake Clearwater after testing found the presence of high concentrations of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. Temporary signage is being installed around the lake to alert people of the need to avoid contact with the water. Water quality sampling at lake…
Help protect our busy waterways from freshwater pests This summer our dedicated freshwater advocacy officers will be out and about again to help show freshwater users how to ‘Check, Clean, Dry’, in order to protect our busy waterways from aquatic pests. Advocacy officer Zoe Arts With border restrictions and higher sales of watercraft a feature…
DIY water blasting contaminates homes with asbestos DIYers are being warned about the potential for accidentally contaminating their own home and gardens during home maintenance over summer. Regional leader compliance delivery, James Tricker, said there have been four recent cases where people have water blasted their roofs and released asbestos fibres into the air. “They’ve…
Fast-tracking of Canterbury flood protection a critical first step in climate adaptation More than $24 million will be spent on a programme of flood protection projects in Canterbury thanks to central government’s climate resilience fund. In December, Environment Canterbury confirmed $15.5 million in funding from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Provincial Development Unit (PDU)…
One poo can close the lake It only takes a small amount of poo to pollute a whole swimming area and ruin a lot of people’s summer holidays. That’s why this year’s Love Our Lakes campaign is reminding visitors to use public toilets, scoop up dog poo and use swim nappies for babies. The campaign,…
Explore the region’s recreational waterbodies with new StoryMap Information about Canterbury’s publicly accessible coastal, river, lake and wetland recreational sites is now available in our new online ‘StoryMap‘. How to use the StoryMap tool The online resource is designed to help people explore our beautiful region and decide which publicly accessible site best suits their…
Ted talks – December 2020 KWZC look out over Greenburn wetland Read Kaikōura Water Zone Committee Chair Ted Howard’s update on the committee’s final hui for the year. We were lucky enough to have our final meeting of the year out in the field, visiting two Immediate Steps (IMS) biodiversity funding sites, both located off…
Protecting peninsula water over summer Paula Smith, member of the Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee Hear from Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee member Paula Smith about water use across the peninsula this summer. This summer is shaping up to be a particularly dry season. Banks Peninsula streams are already exceptionally low. As Christchurch City Council…
Thelning Reserve covenant creating native corridor Proposed location of the covenant. Just under 3 ha of land on a beef farm in Okains Bay will be protected by a Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust covenant. The Thelning covenant project has been “thought about for a long time,” landowners Peter and Cynthia Thelning said. It was one of…
Free travel to launch new bus services New direct bus services from Waimakariri to central Christchurch, starting Monday 11 January 2021, will be free for the first two weeks. The new 91 Rangiora – City direct and 92 Kaiapoi – to City direct bus services are supported by Park & Ride facilities in both Kaiapoi…
Council acknowledges outstanding environmental contributions Outstanding services to the environment over several years were acknowledged with awards to three people at Thursday’s Environment Canterbury council meeting. Outstanding contribution recognition awards were made to Ray and Maree Goldring for services to conservation, and to Ken Taylor for services to water management. Ray and Maree Goldring Ray…
December update: Kaikōura Zone Delivery Manager Kaikōura Zone Delivery Manager Kevin Heays Recently, we were lucky enough to be visited by some Suburban School students while they were on school camp. They came by the office to chat about water quality and what we do here at Environment Canterbury, we even roped them in to…
Lower Waitaki chair reflects on tricky 2020 Zone Committee Chair Bruce Murphy There’s been a lot going on this year, not least the challenges we faced meeting via Zoom and grappling with erosion issues on the Waitaki River. The floods of summer 2020/21 caused significant erosion with an estimated cost to repair of $1.04 million….
Canterbury farmers are some of the most productive and efficient in the country. Find out how Stu has managed his consent process. Source link
New boating guide now available The Harbourmaster’s Office has released it’s free Canterbury Safer Boating Guide (PDF File, 12.42MB), which brings together all the key information boaties in our region need to follow for a safe summer on the water. The guide includes maps, the regional Navigation Safety Bylaws and incorporates safety messages from Maritime…
Banks Peninsula 2020 wrap-up Hear from Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee Chair Benita Wakefield as she wraps up for 2020. It is that time of year again! Once again, the last 12 months have flown by and I cannot believe it is already December. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruption and required us to all…
Keeping your whanau safe in the water this summer Each summer from November to March, we monitor more than 100 of Canterbury’s key recreational swimming sites weekly to check for cyanobacteria (toxic algae) that can be harmful to people, dogs, and stock. Cyanobacteria is a naturally occurring blue-green algae with the potential to bloom, producing…
Banks Peninsula 2020 wrap-up Hear from Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee Chair Benita Wakefield as she wraps up for 2020. It is that time of year again! Once again, the last 12 months have flown by and I cannot believe it is already December. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruption and required us to all…
Climate emergency declaration welcomed Environment Canterbury Chair Jenny Hughey has welcomed the Government’s declaration of a climate emergency. “By declaring a national climate emergency, our Government is recognising the current and future impacts of climate change and acknowledging its role in mitigating its effects. “Our future depends on the action taken by governments around the…
From our Chair: Talking rates Jenny Hughey, Chair, Environment Canterbury Talk to anyone about Council business, and rates are usually a topic that pops up pretty quickly. Generally, people aren’t shy about sharing their opinions on rates. Around the middle of each year, when Councils adopt their Annual Plans and ‘strike the rates’ to set…
Managing critical source areas in Kaikōura The Kaikōura Plains Recovery Project team has been focused on helping local landowners manage their farms post-quake, to reduce the impacts of land-use on the environment. After the 2016 North Canterbury earthquake a study was undertaken to assess the damage, habitat, and health of streams in Kaikōura’s Lyell Creek/Waikōau catchment….