Review of recreational value from urban waterway and stormwater management

Abstract

Increasing stormwater runoff from roads and buildings as a result of urban expansion in Christchurch has led to the pollution of urban waterways, in particular with hydrocarbons and heavy metal contaminants such as zinc and copper. Under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), regional councils, city councils, and district councils in New Zealand have legislated roles for water management, including managing rivers, mitigating discharge of contaminants, flood control, and protecting environmental and social values of waterways. After the Christchurch Drainage Board was established in October 1875, wastewater and stormwater in the city were managed by constructing separate wastewater and stormwater networks. In 1989, Christchurch City Council (CCC) took over the responsibility for stormwater management in Christchurch. The Council’s management of stormwater aims to avoid or mitigate pollution of urban waterways and reduce flood risk and impacts. In the wider context of the management of stormwater and the urban water environment, it is recognised that not only do urban rivers and streams provide various recreational and aesthetic benefits to the city’s inhabitants, but so too can different forms of stormwater management infrastructure, especially different kinds of green infrastructure.