Decisions on plan available next week
The decisions on the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan will be
notified on Wednesday 4 April.
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The decisions on the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan will be notified on Wednesday 4 April.
The proposed plan represents many years of work with Environment Southland’s partners, Te Ao Marama and Southland communities and industries. Many people engaged in the process and contributed to the plan.
“We’ve been very aware of the need to listen to people and take things on board as the plan has been developed. Thanks to everyone who got involved, either through submitting or coming to one of our drop-in sessions,” says Environment Southland chairman Nicol Horrell.
In total, 947 submissions were made on the plan. Of these, 274 submitters spoke to their submissions during 26 days of public hearings in Gore and Invercargill last year. In February the hearing panel commissioners completed their deliberations and presented their recommendations on the plan to councillors. Councillors accepted these recommendations.
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The plan sets out the proposed policies and rules that will guide sustainable use, development and protection of Southland’s water and land resources.
It aims to address declining water quality and to manage land-use activities that are considered to contribute to a disproportionate level of contaminants.
“The plan is a critical foundation document as we work with our partners and Southland’s landholders, businesses and communities to build a thriving and sustainable future for Southland—both environmentally and economically,” Mr Horrell says.
The decisions version of the proposed plan and other useful information will be available from next Wednesday on Environment Southland’s website.
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Environment Southland has released a draft regional target for swimmable lakes and rivers by 2030.
Under the Ministry for the Environment’s National targets for swimming water quality which were released in 2017, Southland’s rivers were deemed to be 60.2% swimmable and 98% for our lakes.
Using the Ministry for the Environment modelling, Southland’s rivers will see a 5.5% improvement by 2030, taking our target to 67.5%. The modelling takes into account the current work being undertaken across Southland to improve E.coli levels, combined with the actions required in the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan.
Read more about the target here.
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An initial release of the RHDV1 (K5) rabbit virus on two sites in Southland will be made next week, if the weather permits.
K5 is a rabbit virus that could reduce the rabbit population significantly.
Landowners are asked not to move any rabbit carcasses so the virus can be allowed to spread naturally. Moving carcasses can dilute the strength of the virus and result in rabbits being immune to it.
Read more about the target here.
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