Development prompts waterway concern | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

Builders and developers are partially to blame for the disappearance of streams from some Canterbury areas, according to Riccarton-Wigram community board member Lesley Keast.

Keast wants to ensure Halswell streams and springs do not follow suit, and is worried increasing development in the area could do just that.

Keast said she had been in other areas of Christchurch when streams disappeared following development, and nobody seemed to know what had happened.

She said Styx River and Nottingham Stream were just two she knew of that had disappeared or were almost dry as a result of development in the area.

Keast said developers needed to have a better understanding of the land they were working on, and what affects their work was having on it.

"Once the developer walks away from the building the ratepayer has to pick up the tab," Keast said.

"The onus should be on developers to prove that there will be no diverse affects on rivers and streams and that springs will not disappear," Keast said.

Keast said the conditions of springs and streams were issues that the entire Halswell community needed to look at, and it was a matter of education people so they didn't disappear.

"They are very precious, and we need to look after them," Keast said.

Environment Canterbury operates a living streams programme, working with people in the area to enhance the quality of the streams.

Resource care co-ordinator Donna Woodley said both the Halswell River and the Cashmere Stream were part of their programme, and they were working closely with developers to ensure the streams' survival.

"The developers we have talked to have been very positive," Woodley said. "They are prepared to look at ways they can change their practices to protect the streams."

A stream care group has been started up in conjunction with Environment Canterbury and the Cracroft residents association to develop a management plan for the Cashmere catchment, looking at the issues that have been identified and ways to manage them.