Waimakariri Bird Survey???

[Dale]

Hi Guys

I wonder if we should line up a bird survey and utilise some of the
knowledgable people that will be attending this event???

Join the Water Walk
Artists for save our water will be supporting this coming event so if
you are an artist and you would like to be involved in some way get in
touch.
email/ in...@artistsforsaveourwater.co.nz
Water Walk
Waimakariri Wai/Water Walk – From the Alps to the Ocean

Sunday 19 to Sunday 26 September 2010 (has been postponed due to
earthquake likely November)

Our Water Our Vote – Too Precious to Lose !

Waimakariri Wai/Water journey celebrates one of Canterbury’s great
braided rivers, the Waimakariri. It is a call to action to protect the
Waimakariri as a source of Christchurch’s drinking water, as habitat
for indigenous plants and wildlife and a focus for recreation. The
river is central to the Coast to Coast multi sport adventure race, for
tramping, fishing, picnicking, boating, and closer to its mouth for
yachting, water skiing and white-baiting.

To celebrate the importance of all Canterbury’s natural waters a
diverse group of 10-12 committed individuals will journey the length
of the Waimakariri River from its source to the sea in September.
Their spring time journey will start in the river’s headwaters, high
in Arthur’s Pass National Park where snow melt from the mountains of
the Southern Alps nourishes the river. Over the next seven –eight days
they will mainly walk but also raft, kayak, cycle, and boat the river
to near its mouth at Brooklands Lagoon.

Along the way they will be joined by rafters, kayakers, fishermen, jet
boaters and other river users. They will visit several local schools,
share stories with local residents and learn more of the many ways in
which people appreciate and enjoy the Waimakariri.

Agribusiness is targeting the lands between the Waimakariri and the
Rakaia rivers for a massive expansion in dairying. Fonterra wants a
new milk processing plant at Darfield to process another 2.2 million
litres of milk each day while Synlait and its proposed 51 % stake
Chinese shareholder Bright Dairy Ltd want to double production at
Synlait’s Dunsandel plant.

The Waimakariri Irrigation scheme already takes 11 cumecs for
irrigation on the river’s north bank. Central Plains Water Ltd wants
to take another 25 cumecs from the river for its massive canal and
irrigation scheme. Appeals against this have been lodged with the
Environment Court and may be heard later this year.

While focusing on the Waimakariri, the journey will highlight the need
to cherish and respect all of Canterbury’s rivers, lakes, aquifers and
lowland streams. Proposed think big irrigation schemes, more dairying
and intensive land use across thousands of hectares and in areas never
before contemplated such as the Mackenzie Basin risks serious
depletion of our rivers, pushing nitrate levels in groundwater well
above health standards for drinking water, and further pollution and
harm to lowland streams.

If you care about the wellbeing of our waterways, who controls and
uses our water, and Cantabrians being denied the right to vote in
regional council elections until at least 2013 then please join us on
the river journey or in the Christchurch section of the Waimakariri
Wai/Water Walk from the sea to the city.

Please join us for the public part of the walk on Sunday 26 September
from Spencer Park to New Brighton Pier (more details to come).

The event is being organised by Our Water Our Vote – a group of
Canterbury citizens committed to the restoration of regional democracy
and the protection of the region’s rivers, lakes, aquifers, and
streams.

A detailed timetable for this event will be published in the near
future.

For more information please contact:

Rosalie Snoyink – ph 03 3182632

Eugenie Sage – ph 021 1553937 or 03 329 3177

Janette Kear – ph 03 352 5782

Watch out for the postcard we just produced for our water our vote
about the cairn erected in Christchurch’s Square