Full Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education, Issue ...

96Davis and Threlfallhusbandry practices, management of which is justcommencing in earnest in parts of the country.New Zealand faces the challenge of restoring waterquality and degraded river and estuarine habitatsin locations of intense human use such as GreaterAuckland, central North Island, Canterbury Plainsand the Otago Region, while also protectingrelatively pristine areas that include the west coastof the South Island. Public and private participationis required to adequately address this challenge.For example, a promising private initiative isbeing led by Fonterra, a dairy co-operative grouprepresenting most dairies in New Zealand, aspart of the “Clean Streams” initiative. The cooperativehas taken a proactive role, collaboratingwith dairy producers, local government, Ministryfor the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture andForestry, and researchers to reduce contaminationemanating from dairies (Fonterra Co-operativeGroup et al. 2003).Another challenge in particular areas is waterallocation. Central government has proposedinvestigating further using water consent transfersto improve water use (Ministry for the Environment2006). Concepts like water markets, however,have been met with stiff vocal opposition in somecircles (Turia 2006). Others are addressing howto incorporate environmental flows into rivers withexisting over-allocation of water (Otago RegionalCouncil 2006a).Yet another challenge is to streamline provisionof government services. In Auckland City, sevenborough councils were amalgamated into one cityin 1989, while seven district/city councils still existin the Auckland Region. Currently, eight entitiesprovide water supply, wastewater and stormwaterservices to Greater Auckland with a populationof 1.2 million. Since 2000, discussion exists toamalgamate water services to provide economiesof scale and efficiencies (Auckland Water Review2001).Several of these issues are recognized bycentral government. Government reform andamalgamation are tied up with politics, which iscurrently highly contentious due to the coalition ofthe controlling party with minority parties to form aviable government. Action is therefore unlikely inthe near term. On the other hand, review by centralgovernment in conjunction with local governmentis currently underway to provide national guidanceto better address water allocation and sustainablewater practices as part of the “Sustainable WaterProgram of Action.” A series of policy statementsare expected from the first half of 2007, initiallyaddressing water allocation. As stated at the outsetof this section, strong enabling legislation basedon sustainability concepts and governance basedon catchments already exist, providing a solidframework for IWRM. Publication of nationalwater policy statements and resulting follow upactions at the local government level will determinehow much further IWRM is put into practice, basedon tenets of sustainable water use and sustainablewater resource systems in New Zealand.Author Bios and Contact InformationMATTHEW DAVIS is a senior water resource engineer withCAL Engineering Management of Auckland City, NewZealand. From 2001-2005, he was the technical managerof the NZ$23.5 million Integrated Catchment Study ofAuckland City. Previously he worked in California andChile on water management and environmental impactassessments. He has an M.S. in civil and environmentalengineering and is currently completing a Ph.D. onintegrated water resource management and watersharing in Chile at the University of California, Davis.He can be contacted at CAL Engineering Management,73 Almorah Road, Epsom, Auckland City, New Zealand,mddavis67nz@yahoo.co.nz and WAI Institute c/o 801Malaga Ave., Davis, California 95616-0146, matthew.davis@waiinstitute.org.JOHN THRELFALL has a Ph.D. in fluvial geomorphologyfrom Southampton University and is the Director ofEnvironmental Information and Science for the OtagoRegional Council, New Zealand. Responsibility in thisrole includes co-ordinating and interpreting scientificinvestigations of water resources in the large, diverseand often water short Otago region. Previously, heworked for environmental engineering consultanciesin both the United Kingdom and New Zealand and theenvironmental regulator in the United Kingdom. Healso worked in water research and has been a technicalspecialist in overseas projects. He can be contacted atOtago Regional Council, Private Bag 1954, Dunedin,New Zealand. john.threlfall@orc.govt.nz.ReferencesAmerican Society of Civil Engineers and United NationsEducational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.UCOWRJOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY WATER RESEARCH & EDUCATION