Protected rivers threatened by development
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| Tuesday, 10th July 2012 | Written by Alistair Hall |
August marks the launch of a campaign to help raise awareness of Water Conservation Orders (WCO).
A WCO is the highest level of protection that can be afforded to any body of water and are intended to safeguard the outstanding recreational amenity or intrinsic ecological values that the water in a river or lake provides, preserving its natural, scenic and recreational values. WCOs are often described as the national parks of New Zealand’s rivers and lakes.
Fish and Game, assisted by other recreational and environmental groups such as the FMC, Whitewater NZ, Environmental Defense Society and Forest and Bird, is launching a new campaign to raise awareness of WCOs, but also to show New Zealanders why they need to help protect the country’s rivers.
There are currently 15 WCOs in place around New Zealand, but according to Fish and Game they are increasingly under threat from development in the form of hydro power schemes and increased irrigation.
“This government is very keen on irrigation schemes,” said Fish and Game chief executive Bryce Johnson, who also said the Rakaia River in Canterbury which is protected by a WCO is being threatened with irrigation and further hydro development by Trustpower.
WCOs in the Canterbury region were undermined after the National government dissolved the democratically elected regional council known as Environment Canterbury and inserted a clause into the ECan Act 2010 legislation which removed the jurisdiction of the Environment Court in relation to Canterbury WCO applications. This makes it easier developers to circumvent WCOs by appealing directly to the Minister for the environment for development approval.
Trustpower wants to divert water from the river and Lake Colerdige to irrigate up to 80,000ha of pastureland.
“Not only do we get less water in the river, but there is also the land use change which will go from dry stock to dairy which impacts on water quality. So it’s a double whammy,” said Johnson. “Once again the environment is being hammered in the name of economic growth.”
The Rakaiai River is one of Canterbury’s last remaining braided rivers. In 1988, it became the second river in the country to be protected with a WCO. Johnson said Fish and Game wanted to highlight to the public how important WCOs are to the Kiwi lifestyle. They safeguard rivers and their ecosystems and provide recreation opportunities for trampers, kayakers and anglers.
“They also give some credibility and integrity to the ‘brand’ – how often do we hear politicians and industry talking about how marvellous our clean, green 100 per cent pure brand is but when you ask what they have done to uphold that brand, what intent they have put behind it, you find the answer is bugger all.
“What we want is for the public to start to love rivers a lot more. We all need to love our wild places and sadly for developers that is at the bottom of their agenda.”
Find out more about WCOs at Water Conservation Order NZ.
Water bodies currently protected by WCO
A WCO is the highest level of protection that can be afforded to any body of water and are intended to safeguard the outstanding recreational amenity or intrinsic ecological values that the water in a river or lake provides, preserving its natural, scenic and recreational values. WCOs are often described as the national parks of New Zealand’s rivers and lakes.
Fish and Game, assisted by other recreational and environmental groups such as the FMC, Whitewater NZ, Environmental Defense Society and Forest and Bird, is launching a new campaign to raise awareness of WCOs, but also to show New Zealanders why they need to help protect the country’s rivers.
There are currently 15 WCOs in place around New Zealand, but according to Fish and Game they are increasingly under threat from development in the form of hydro power schemes and increased irrigation.
“This government is very keen on irrigation schemes,” said Fish and Game chief executive Bryce Johnson, who also said the Rakaia River in Canterbury which is protected by a WCO is being threatened with irrigation and further hydro development by Trustpower.
WCOs in the Canterbury region were undermined after the National government dissolved the democratically elected regional council known as Environment Canterbury and inserted a clause into the ECan Act 2010 legislation which removed the jurisdiction of the Environment Court in relation to Canterbury WCO applications. This makes it easier developers to circumvent WCOs by appealing directly to the Minister for the environment for development approval.
Trustpower wants to divert water from the river and Lake Colerdige to irrigate up to 80,000ha of pastureland.
“Not only do we get less water in the river, but there is also the land use change which will go from dry stock to dairy which impacts on water quality. So it’s a double whammy,” said Johnson. “Once again the environment is being hammered in the name of economic growth.”
The Rakaiai River is one of Canterbury’s last remaining braided rivers. In 1988, it became the second river in the country to be protected with a WCO. Johnson said Fish and Game wanted to highlight to the public how important WCOs are to the Kiwi lifestyle. They safeguard rivers and their ecosystems and provide recreation opportunities for trampers, kayakers and anglers.
“They also give some credibility and integrity to the ‘brand’ – how often do we hear politicians and industry talking about how marvellous our clean, green 100 per cent pure brand is but when you ask what they have done to uphold that brand, what intent they have put behind it, you find the answer is bugger all.
“What we want is for the public to start to love rivers a lot more. We all need to love our wild places and sadly for developers that is at the bottom of their agenda.”
Find out more about WCOs at Water Conservation Order NZ.
Water bodies currently protected by WCO
| Water Body | Year WCO came into effect |
| Motu River | 1984 |
| Rakaia River | 1988 |
| Lake Wairarapa | 1989 |
| Manganuioteao | 1989 |
| Lake Ellersmere | 1990 |
| Ahuriri River | 1990 |
| Grey River | 1991 |
| Rangitikei River | 1993 |
| Kawarau River | 1997 |
| Mataura River | 1997 |
| Buller River | 2001 |
| Motueka River | 2004 |
| Mohaka River | 2004 |
| Rangitata River | 2006 |
| Oreti River | 2008 |
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