Whitewater Canoe Club president, Ian Fox, has been appointed to the Christchurch-West Melton Zone Committee, one of the ten such committees formed under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS). These committees have wide representation, but despite a lot of work on us kayakers’ part, only two kayakers have been appointed to date. (Hugh Canard is on the regional committee).
Club members may not be aware that the economic push for more water on more land, and the never-ending desire for ‘renewable’ energy, means that many of the rivers we currently enjoy are under threat. There are plans to transform not only the landscape through more irrigation and canals but also the ‘plumbing’ of Canterbury’s rivers.
There are plans for;
- Waiau – hydro and irrigation
- Hurunui and tributaries – irrigation
- Ashley, and potentially the Okuku – irrigation
- Waimakariri – diversion from above the gorge via tunnel to the Lees Valley
- Rakaia – changes to the Water Conservation Order, new canals and pumping stations. Means some flow changes in the Rakaia Gorge and the section to SH 1.
- Rangitata – large storage ponds are being built on the riparian flats from Klondyke to to SH 1
- Waitaki – major irrigation schemes under discussion
- Foothills rivers, such as Ashburton, Orari, Opihi, Pareora etc – enhancements and water quality issues.
All these schemes represent many billions of dollars of investment and much of this infrastructure will happen in your lifetimes. Not all of the proposals are negative for paddlesports, and one of the key roles we must play is to ensure our voice is heard and our needs are understood by the wider community and the regional and District Councils. Often a minor change can cost the developers nothing, and have no environmental effects, but be significant for us.
Keeping tabs on all this activity has been a massive job for the few volunteers that step up. Ian has been one of the most dedicated advocates for the Hurunui, attending meetings at all hours, travelling to Culverden, and taking leave from work, to be an active observer at the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee meetings. In the past year there have been around 30 meetings and workshops. Ian had to go through an applicant selection process more stringent than a job interview, and it is to his credit that he has been selected.
Ian will be representing all types of water recreation in the mainly greater Christchurch urban zone, but his zone includes the lower reaches of the Waimakariri River, which is important to many of us. The Heathcote and Avon rivers have been used as sewers since February, and most of the pools we used are likely to be out of action for a number of years. There’s a lot to do, and kayakers need to integrate into the community and be prepared to contribute.
Congratulations and a big thank you to Ian.
Hugh Canard
Life Member WWCC