Crackdown on compliance

Environment CanterburyEnvironment Canterbury is working with water consent holders to ensure compliance with the national regulations to install a water-measuring system.

Under government regulations, the deadline for the installation of a water-measuring device and data logger was November 10 and, at that time, 56 per cent of Canterbury's affected consent holders had complied, 32 per cent had confirmed they would install a water-measuring system and 12 per cent had not responded to information requests.

Environment Canterbury resource management director Kim Drummond said a compliance programme was started on November 12 with a selection of the water consent holders they had not heard from and who were potentially non-compliant with the water-measuring regulations.

"The programme started with a letter reminding consent holders of the requirements to install a water-measuring system followed up by a phone call and site visit from a compliance officer," he said.

"This follow-up work was done at the consent holder's cost.

"We found around half of these consent holders had installed an appropriate water measuring system or had contacted a service provider to do the work."

Mr Drummond said a few consent holders had also decided to surrender their consents.

"There is another group of people we are working with now to ensure compliance with the regulations as soon as possible," he said.

"Only a small number have been uncooperative and are unfortunately facing abatement action unless they engage with our compliance officers in the near future."

The compliance programme will continue in January and target non-compliant water consent holders to ensure they meet the requirements of the national regulations for measuring and reporting water takes.