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A Minute with Marco – June Welcome back to Kaikōura and Hurunui Waiau Uwha zone delivery lead Marco Cataloni’s column. Kia ora everyone, Can you believe we’re in June already? 2023 is flying by! Soil Conservation and Revegetation Programme widens its scope Kaikōura and Hurunui Waiau Uwha zone delivery lead Marco Cataloni One exciting update…
Burn ‘warmer, cheaper’ this winter to help improve our air quality As the infamous Canterbury frosts start to bite, people across the region are firing up their wood burners to stay warm. We all want to improve our air quality so we can have cleaner, healthier air to breathe. Our Warmer Cheaper campaign is all…
Plan to restore Waitarakao Washdyke Lagoon kicks off The Timaru community is being encouraged to get involved in a collaborative project to restore Waitarakao Washdyke Lagoon and its surrounding catchment. ‘Our Waitarakao’ Washdyke Lagoon Catchment strategy is a partnership between Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua, the Department of Conservation, Environment Canterbury, and Timaru District Council to…
Concerning pest plant sales now being monitored Header: Tradescantia/wandering willie is often sold at market stalls without the vendor’s knowledge of the potential biosecurity outcomes. Everyone has a part to play in understanding what they are buying and selling online to ensure Canterbury is protected from invasive plants. House plants have become increasingly popular in recent…
How are we tracking Our Reporting Back hub has been updated and highlights the progress we have made on our work programmes. Our Reporting Back hub is a new way we are presenting the progress we are making. The information is produced in year-to-date updates at the end of each three-month period. The information reports…
Environment Canterbury office becomes the first in NZ to achieve green certification trifecta Our Tuam Street building has become the first in the country to be awarded three certifications for environmental performance. “The triple ratings achievement demonstrates Environment Canterbury’s commitment to lead in climate change resilience, and we are very proud of this,” said Director…
Checkmate for Canterbury’s rooks Eradication of a pest animal is a rare achievement. But when the pest is intelligent and moves as fast as the rook in an area as large as Canterbury, the task becomes that much harder. Source link
Discovery of a ‘goldmine’ of historical data offers new insight into Mid-Canterbury’s groundwater quality The Ashburton Water Zone Committee and Mid-Canterbury Catchment Collective (MCCC) support new research to establish a benchmark for regional water quality. University of Canterbury student Romy Van der Boom is investigating historical water sampling results for the Mid-Canterbury water catchment –…
Announcing new Biosecurity Advisory Group members We are pleased to announce the community, council, and rūnanga representatives for our four newly refreshed Biosecurity Advisory Groups. The groups provide advice and feedback on our pest management projects. They ensure the best outcomes are achieved for cultural, economic and biodiversity values in the region. The four Biosecurity…
Green waste putting waterways at risk Illegal dumping is rife across the region and it’s not just the inorganic items that are putting our flood protection, biodiversity, and water health at risk. With many people taking the recent long weekends to maintain their gardens in preparation for winter, there’s often an increase in green waste…
Soil conservation funding boost from central government We will receive nearly $2 million to support farmers with erosion-prone land across North Canterbury. The funding comes from Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service (TUR-NZFS) and will help continue the successful Soil Conservation and Revegetation (SCAR) Programme, which will now extend until 2027. Previously in…
Farmers field trip for mahinga kai Did you know that mahinga kai species like kākahi/freshwater mussels can help protect the natural environment? Join Makarini Rupene (Pō Mātai Ko, Cultural Land Management Advisor) and Channell Thoms (Mātauraka Putaio Senior Advisor, Science) for a three-stop hop along the Cust River catchment. What will we learn? Ki uta ki…
Environment Canterbury welcomes youth representatives to committee Two youth representatives have joined a key committee of the Canterbury Regional Council. The Regional Leadership, Climate and Community Resilience Committee has appointed Oscar Bloom and Alice Docking as youth members with full voting rights. “More and more we’re seeing that young people have an expectation that their…
Helping unpack regulations with farmers in Culverden A recent biodiversity and regulations workshop in Culverden provided the opportunity for farmers to better understand new rules and regulations through a question-and-answer session with our staff. More than 20 farmers attended the workshop at Fyffe Downs Farm. Breaking down regulations Source link
Help us protect the Avon River/Ōtākaro Could you or your business be accidentally leaking oil into the river/awa? On Saturday April 29 we were notified of oil spilling into the Avon River/Ōtākaro from a drain opposite the Antigua Boat Sheds. Source link
Al Brown takes on pest pines in the Mackenzie Basin The war on wilding pines is being fought by multiple agencies, community groups, landholders, and other good people across Aotearoa and they came out in force to clear pest pines from an environmentally significant site on Ben Dhu Station near Ōmarama. Around forty people attended…
Ancient treasures of Rakaia – Taonga tawhito o te awa ko Rakaia Large areas of the Rakaia River berm remain as tākata whenua might have experienced it when making rugged Aotearoa their home and our project aims to keep it that way. Sections of the awa escaped modification, leaving swaths of native plants intact, including…
Teaming up with University of Canterbury for the environment We are teaming up with the University of Canterbury (UC) to tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Both Waitaha Canterbury institutions are using science to support environmental sustainability aimed at creating a more resilient future for all. Together, we are committing…
Check the rules before you burn outdoors The most important rule to remember is that if your property is under two hectares (20,000 square metres), you can’t burn outdoors, even if you live in a rural area. If your property is over two hectares, you can burn dry waste material from your property and a…
Contracting opportunities – registrations of interest open now We are encouraging prospective contractors to apply to undertake work for us by 19 May. We use a panel (register) of contractors to undertake rivers, parks and biosecurity works, which are engaged via a tender process every three years. The work is varied and includes the use…
Collaboration is key for wallaby control Wallabies are a serious national pest problem that requires a collaborative effort to solve — no one person, agency, or group is going to win this battle alone. In July 2020, when the National Wallaby Eradication Programme began, we joined forces with other local and central government agencies and began…
New reports paint picture of declining fish populations in Canterbury rivers We have published two new reports into fish communities, documenting reductions in the abundance of several key species. These reports reinforce observations from river users, and a NIWA report highlights that more research is needed into the drivers of changes in fish communities. A…
Volunteer at our planting days by the Waimakariri Join our ranger and biodiversity teams on one of our epic tree planting days alongside the Waimakariri River. Did you know that native vegetation covers just 0.5% of the Canterbury lowland plains? We aim to increase this a little by planting 8,500 trees this season. Native planting…
First pre-grazing flights will take place in May We are undertaking two flights in both the Waimakariri and Ashburton regions this year, supporting farmers with winter grazing preparation and execution. An important tool for information and education Last July, we conducted a flight in the Waimakariri region, looking to see how well farmers had prepared…
Flooding protection work pays off in Geraldine Winding its way through the centre of Geraldine, the Waihī River offers a strong case for the importance of ongoing flood protection works. We have four project sites on the section of river that runs through the township — projects that play an essential role in keeping both the…
Making room for rivers Featured image: Recent flood damage on the North Branch Ashburton River The scale of destruction across the eastern North Island in a single storm has been difficult to take in. Shaun McCracken, Flood protection recovery manager This was a truly devastating event impacting multiple regions. We are not immune in Canterbury; our…
Keep your lifestyle block tip top Waimakariri has more than 6,500 lifestyle blocks covering nearly 8 per cent of the district — about 17,250ha and growing. Collectively, lifestyle blocks can have a significant impact on our environment as they typically have more people and infrastructure on a smaller land area, and are concentrated in areas…
Keep your block tip top Waimakariri has more than 6,500 lifestyle blocks covering nearly 8 per cent of the district — about 17,250ha and growing. Collectively, lifestyle blocks can have a significant impact on our environment as they typically have more people and infrastructure on a smaller land area, and are concentrated in areas where…
Response to recent Greenpeace nitrate testing in Ashburton Director of Science Dr Tim Davie responds to recent Greenpeace nitrate testing in the Ashburton district. The well-known issue of elevated nitrate concentrations is a key driver for change in agricultural practices in the Ashburton plains, leading to better environmental outcomes. We have been working on this…
Environment Canterbury welcomes new national freshwater report A new national report looking at the state of our freshwater will be a key tool that informs plans to protect Canterbury’s rivers, lakes and aquifers. The Our Freshwater 2023 report, prepared by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ, takes data provided by us and other…