At today's 9th Environment Canterbury Commissioners meeting, Commissioners agreed to lodge a submission on the revised Hurunui Water Conservation Order (WCO).

The commissioners noted that although they opposed the Conservation Order application given that issues it covered were now being considered through the regional planning framework and the recently imposed moratorium on consents, they would have input to the final content of the submission, to ensure their reasoning was clear.

The Environment Canterbury Act includes a process for the revised WCO application to be heard by independent hearing commissioners before the commissioners make their recommendations to the Minister for the Environment.

Environment Canterbury's original submission on the WCO application stated that the council "opposed those parts of the WCO application which are contrary to the objectives and policies of the proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan (NRRP)." Commissioner Peter Skelton said that the NRRP and the Hurunui moratorium on resource consents provide interim protection for the catchment area.

"The Resource Management Act, the Environment Canterbury Act and the Canterbury Water Management Strategy all require water resources to be managed considering both in-stream and out-of-stream values and uses.

"Whereas a Water Conservation Order focuses on the one catchment, a regional water plan enables future management of the Hurunui's water resources in a broader context including other water resources in North Canterbury.

"The submission process is the only option available by which Environment Canterbury can provide further information or request changes to the WCO application," said Commissioner Skelton.

"All submissions will be heard by external hearing commissioners before recommendations are made to the Minister for the Environment. Environment Canterbury's position is that the WCO is no longer required given that the issues, statutory tests and objective of promoting sustainable resource management are included in the regional planning processes and plans. However, it is important to make our concerns known to the Conservation Order commissioners and the submissions process is how we can do that.

"For that reason, we will also provide information in our submission on the catchment and the effects that the revised WCO might have so that we can identify any amendments needed to administer the Conservation Order effectively. "

The closing date for submissions is September 24, 2010. Only organisations or people who have already submitted on the original WCO can resubmit.