A new chapter on freshwater and land management in Canterbury is underway as the current water zone committees transition into local leadership groups in the coming months.
For more than 10 years, zone committees have played a key role in delivering local outcomes through strong partnerships with councils, Environment Canterbury, and mana whenua. Their work has laid a solid foundation, but as the needs of the joint Canterbury Water Management Strategy have evolved, so must our approach.
At its 30 May meeting, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum endorsed the shift to a new model that better reflects today’s challenges and opportunities. This decision follows a comprehensive review process across the region over the past year.
The new groups will bring together leaders from territorial authorities, rūnanga, and Environment Canterbury. These groups will aim to strike a balance between regional consistency and local flexibility, with each group deciding how best to engage with their communities and stakeholders.
There is also a change to the geographic boundaries – with former ‘zones’ being revised to better reflect key waterway catchments, resulting in eight rather than 10 areas. The exact geographic boundaries and proposed membership will be discussed with core leadership group members in each area as part of the next phase.
“The review identified that it was time to step in and create a refreshed model that best meets the needs of local communities,” Canterbury Mayoral Forum chair Nigel Bowen said.
“By establishing leadership groups in this space, we want to see strong connection between key stakeholders and a collaborative approach to land and water management needs across their respective areas.”
Mayor Bowen says regional leaders had wanted to look at the way zone committees operated for some time, pointing out a lot has changed since the zone committees were first set up in 2009.
“The review has focused on the evolution of zone committees and local leadership in freshwater management, considering the changes to national direction and freshwater management. While the zone committees have spearheaded some great mahi and community projects, the time has come to move on to the next chapter, and on behalf of the Canterbury Mayoral Forum I’d like to thank everyone for their involvement, contribution and commitment throughout the last 15 years.”
The new groups are expected to be up and running by February 2026, with core members appointed after the October local elections.
