Water Forum meeting notes #4
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25-October-2009 wf4-25oct09.txt

8pm Izon Cafe (formerly Sand Dance), 10 attended.

1. Popx & partner have a new baby boy! - Congratulations!! Also, Nov 2 is the Mother & Child 
exhibition start, at Linwood Community Arts Centre on Stanmore Road. Arohanui ki te whanau.

2. Aurora shared some learning about terraquaculture, from 'Organic NZ' magazine Mar/Apr09,
about the Watershed Systems centre for Catchment Ecology, located in the Waitaki Basin:
"Applied Research & Development In High Country Ecoforestry" http://watershed.net.nz
It is the ancient Asian design means for harmonising human population with the landscape,
based upon the Dao ('the Way' - yin/yang balance etc, learning from water) sustainability.

This opened up a huge discussion about efficient water capture and use by people living
on the land with systems of low-impact food production, such as fruit & veges, fish & fowl.

3. This followed on from appraisal begun by Brian, of the place of canola in local agrigulture 
- probably imported GE - and how industrial hemp is a much better food and biofuel source that
we have to win the political debate over to establish economic incentives to steer land use.

4. Debate was begun over whether we want to endorse the biblical methaphors for wealth, defined 
through stock ownership, village farm destruction, and the consequent renaming of places. 

5. A knowledgable person in the area of meat industry discharges into the Waimakariri River 
gave us a thorough run-down of the situation at Belfast and the old Highway Bridge outfall.

6. For the Community Gardens, George answered a lot of questions about supplying quality,
locally-produced foods into the community. Community kitchens were explained, as small 
cooking collectives to make household food supply better and more economic. A project for
bulk provision of low-cost, nutritious soup into the community was tentatively scoped.
Vacant land for pumpkin patches is appealed for. * * * * *

7. Julie related her experience as a mother on a low income with children alienated from  
productive land which could have better sustained them.

8. RMA consent means for securing environmental flow allocations in rivers was discussed.

9. From 9.30am-c3pm this Weds 28 Oct in the ECan council chamber will be the regular open
workshop for informing the councillors, at 58 Kilmore Street. Dams, 1080, and the Regional
Policy Statement review, water chapter, will all feature. Public attendance is welcome.

...

more notes soon..

Edit: Mon 26 Oct 2009 22:33:40 NZDT