Frequently asked questions

Resource consents allow people or organisations to do something that may have an effect on our environment.

For more information, visit the Resource Consents section on our website.

Compliance means adherence to the Resource Management Act including the rules established under regional and district plans and meeting resource consent conditions, regulations and national environmental standards.

For more information, visit the Complying with the Resource Management Act section on our website.

The activities carried out by councils to assess compliance with the Resource Management Act.

The actions taken by councils to respond to non-compliance with the Resource Management Act. 

A fish screen is required whenever a water take could impact fish. They are designed to protect fish, including trout and salmon, as well as native fish, by keeping them out of water takes.  Water takes are used for irrigation, stock-water, community supplies or hydro-electric power generation.

For more information, read the news item on our website.

Mahinga kai is about the value of natural resources that sustain life, including the life of people. It is important to manage and protect these resources, in the same way that ancestors have done before us.

For more information, visit the mahinga kai section on our website.

Regionally significant consents are those consents which need dedicated Resource Management Officers building a mutually beneficial and transparent relationship with their consent holders to achieve compliance.

These consents have already been assessed as high risk (environmentally) but would also include those assessed as medium risk (environmentally) but are a strategic (or reputational) risk to Environment Canterbury.

A farm environment plan (FEP) is a tool that can help farmers recognise on-farm environmental risks and set out a programme to manage those risks. FEPs are unique to a property and reflect the local climate and soils, the type of farming operation, and the goals and aspirations of the land user. The level of complexity of a FEP will largely depend on how much farm system change is under way or being considered.

Good Management Practices (GMPs) are used on farm to improve water quality (notably nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, and faecal contaminants). These practices may not fully take into account GMPs for other aspects of farm management (e.g. greenhouse gas reduction, health and safety, biosecurity, biodiversity and conservation of natural and cultural heritage).

For more information, visit the Canterbury Water website.