Perspectives on the Canterbury Water Management Strategy

Abstract

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy: Strategic Framework, released in November 2009 by Canterbury Water , is an innovative planning initiative based on a collaborative governance model. The CWMS is a framework to manage Canterbury’s water resources sustainably by articulating a series of agreed principles and targets relating to allocation of water for competing uses and also for water quality. It proposes novel nested governance arrangements to undertake these functions on a management zone and regional basis, with linkages to national level arrangements. As part of a longer term longitudinal study of institutional arrangements for sustainable water management in Canterbury, a number of key informants who have been closely involved in the development of the CWMS were interviewed. They were questioned on the process of developing the strategy, the policies it contains, and the anticipated challenges and opportunities of implementation. In total, 21 key informants, reflecting a broad cross section of the organisations and interests represented during the development of the strategy, were interviewed in 14 separate semi-structured interviews in late 2009 and early 2010.