New rules for farming and other activities came into force last September when the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) became operative. In February 2016 Plan Change 1, which are the additional rules which apply in the Selwyn-Waihora catchment, was also made operative. The LWRP is the document which contains the rules which apply to stock in waterways – a topic that has been in the news recently.
So what do the rules actually say? Without reading the 427 page plan it can be hard to find relevant information. However, ECan have a couple of useful handouts – although they aren’t that easy to locate on their website.
For the rules which apply to stock and waterways, there is a handout summarising the region-wide rules available. In Selwyn-Waihora, the rules also apply to any surface drains which have water in them.
Selwyn-Waihora features a Cultural Landscape Values Management Area (CLVMA) around the lake and main tributaries – an area where different rules apply. The main features of the CLVMA are summarised in another factsheet.
There are some very useful maps available on Canterbury Maps which help with interpreting where the rules apply. The main planning map for the LWRP can be viewed on Canterbury Maps – you can select the layers you wish to see in a panel on the left (click on the button in the top left corner to bring up the menu). Options you can select include the spring-fed lowland streams, and the Cultural Landscape Values Management Area.
Another useful map shows the salmon and inanga spawning sites, freshwater bathing areas and a number of other features such as drinking water takes – all areas where stock should not be in waterways.
If you would like to know about other rules in the LWRP or find about the Farm Environment Plan templates available, there is an advice page. However, it’s a good idea to check the date on any ECan page/information sheet as the website still contains a lot of out-of-date information.
If you’re not sure how the rules relate to you, contact ECan customer service staff email ecinfo@ecan.govt.nz or phone 0800 324 636 (0800 EC INFO) and ask to talk to someone.
