www.stuff.co.nz, 13 April 2016

Waitaki farmers seeking amendments to the definition of winter grazing and to water quality expectations are among the 130 submissions to proposed changes to Environment Canterbury’s Land & Water Regional Plan.

The council received 130 submissions on plan change five from within the Waitaki sub-region. Some sought amendments to some definitions and to limits tables, and the themes suggested by submissions would be discussed at the Upper Waitaki Zone Committee meeting on Friday.

The plan change relates to nutrient management for farm throughout Canterbury. Much of the water in the Upper and Lower Waitaki sub-regions is nutrient-rich, which puts many affected farms in the restrictive orange or red nutrient allocation zones.

Some of the Members of the Lower Waitaki Zone Committee in March noted the change had dominated conversations and that many people said they did not understand the process. Submissions closed on March 11.