Executive Summary
The Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (CLWRP) is currently one of the more topical issues in the agriculture community. Please refer to Appendix one for an illustrated description of this plan. The proposed plan as it stands could potentially have huge implications on farm succession, development plans, change of land use, retirement plans, viability of individual farming enterprises and a number or combination of these factors could divide local communities.
I believe that the majority of New Zealander’s (especially farmers) want to protect their land and water ways. As they want to bring their families up in New Zealand’s wonderful rural communities’. Water has been and always will be a major part of any community.
The intent of the proposed CLWRP is 100% correct – no arguments. But the current mechanics and how it is going to be monitored is potentially flawed from the start. I respect that there has to be a “closing of commons” and with any strategy, it will cause some pain for a particular party.
Both Rural and Urban communities need to work together and have an invested interest in cleaning up our water ways as both these user groups need water of the highest quality.
In this report I have given some background on the CLWRP, how it is monitored, by whom and by what method, an overview of the nitrate leaching, three live examples of how this proposed plan could affect each farming business, and lastly provide a potential alternative way of both urban and farmers collaborating together to improve water quality.
This reports purpose is to identify if the CLWRP plan is equitable to all farmers, which will include looking at a potentially more equitable alternative.
