PATRON
CHAIRMAN
TRUSTEES
Martin Clements, Chairman, North Canterbury Fish & Game; past president, NZ Fruitgrowers Federation; councillor, Lincoln University
John Sanders, Retired bank manager
Brett Waterfield,Company director
Rex Williams,Company Director
Much of the work of the Trust is undertaken by this voluntary group plus a small support team. The Board meets monthly, and has held several public meetings
The Trust has support from people across all sectors of the community, and including some 40 organisations representing several tens of thousands of concerned citizens.
The members of the Trust do not want to be remembered as being part of a generation whose development practices and lack of care precluded future generations of New Zealanders from enjoying what should have been their birthright: a prosperous country with healthy waterways, wetlands and aquifers.
The Trust has a widely recognised role as the leading advocate for sustainable management of Canterbury’s fresh water resources. The Trust has regular dialogue with politicians and staff of Environment Canterbury, the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, and has met with the Minister of Conservation, and various other senior politicians.
The Trust has made submissions on the Ministry for the Environment’s Sustainable Water Programme of Action; Environment Canterbury’s Natural Resources Regional Plan, and annual plans and on a very large number of individual consent applications to take water. The Trust works with media outlets and community groups such as Rotary and residents associations to widen public awareness of the issues.
Water Rights Trust was registered 25 November 2002.