This report was written following a request from the Minister for the Environment to examine the reported decline in freshwater quality and ecosystems in the Ōtūwharekai/Ashburton Lakes area of Canterbury (around 50 kilometres west of Methven).
This report was written following a request from the Minister for the Environment to examine the reported decline in freshwater quality and ecosystems in the Ōtūwharekai/Ashburton Lakes area of Canterbury (around 50 kilometres west of Methven).
The aim of the report was to identify any issues with the resource management system that have contributed to the reported decline in the lakes, as a case study for the wider resource management regime.
Multiple vulnerabilities were found to exist within the system and are detailed in the report together with recommended actions.
This report is not about the actions or intentions of the people who operate within the system. The Ministry recognises that farmers, advisors and council officers are all doing their best to operate within the current regulatory system. The farmers in the catchment are compliant with the regional plan, and are working with Environment Canterbury and multiple agencies to find solutions for the lakes.