Water Conservation Order
A Water Conservation Order is a piece of legislation in New Zealand that protects the properties of a body of water outside of general protected areas such as national parks. Protection can on the one hand place the water body under protection as well as individual aspects that affect the water body as a whole. It can be applied to rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands, geothermal waters and aquifers.
Until 2001 the legal basis was Section 20 D of the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967 , since then Section 214 of the Resource Management Act 1991 .
Scope of protection
In New Zealand a Water Conservation Order is used to protect natural, cultural and recreational values of a body of water. This includes:
- the habitat of organisms in and around the water
- the fishing
- especially wild, picturesque and other natural features
- Value to science
- particular ecological importance
- Recreational value
- historical, spiritual or cultural value
- particular importance to the Māori
Such an order restricts the local administrations in their freedom of choice, for example with regard to the amount and quality of water, flow or water level, the maximum permitted water withdrawal, the maximum discharge of pollutants and / or temperature and pressure ranges.
Orders in force
As of April 2018, 15 Water Conservation Orders are in force, they affect the following waters: (in brackets: date of issue)
- National Water Conservation Orders (enacted under the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967 ):
- Motu River (1984)
- Rakaia River (1988)
- Lake Wairarapa (1989)
- Manganuioteao River (1989)
- Lake Ellesmere (1990)
- Ahuriri River (1990)
- Gray River (1991)
- Water Conservation Orders under the Resource Management Act 1991
- Rangitikei River (1993)
- Kawarau River (1993)
- Mataura River (1997)
- Buller River (2001)
- Motueka River (2004)
- Mohaka River (2004)
- Rangitata River (2006)
- Oreti River (2008)
Web links
- Explanations of the New Zealand Recreational Canoeing Association's Water conservation orders (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Water Conservation Orders . Environmental Defense Society , archived from the original on February 5, 2013 ; accessed on January 24, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).
- ↑ Existing water conservation orders . Ministry for the Environment , accessed April 21, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Whitewater NZ, accessed January 3, 2011