'Waters of Canterbury’ exhibition

Press, 6 November 1984, Page 32

'Waters of Canterbury’ exhibition

“The Waters of Canterbury" will be the theme of a special exhibition in Canterbury Court at this week’s Canterbury show. The exhition will feature displays by organisations, including local bodies and Government departments, which work with water, as well as recreational and sporting groups. The exhibition will be a good opportunity for groups involved in the controversy over the future of the Rakaia River to put their cases to the public. The Bank of New Zealand sponsors the exhibition, which has a different theme each year. This lyill be the fourteenth year the association has organised an exhibition in conjunction with the A. and P. show.

The. association’s director, Mr Noel Woods, said the Waters of Canterbury exhibition was so comprehensive that it could be regarded as a show on its own.

The major exhibitor is the Ministry of Works and Development which has contracted a replica shingle riverbed for part of its display. The Ministry’s section covers about a quarter of the floor area in Canterbury Court.

Water means life, diversification and jobs, according to the display prepared by the advisory services and research divisions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and by Federated Farmers.

This display will look at the development of irrigation on Canterbury farms, starting with pictures of dryland farming before the turn of the century. The provision of stock water supplies was an important step in the development of Canterbury farming because without stock water much of Canterbury would still be farmed as extensive sheep farms.

Domestic water supplies and drainage all contributed to Canterbury’s development and irrigation has allowed diversification into other crops, such as horticulture. This section of the display will feature irrigation models and a Rotorainer sprinkler. Dairying, new arable crops such as lentils, and some varieties of peas, can now be grown in Canterbury because of irrigation. Berryfrait, cut flowers, herbs, pipfruit, and even sub-tropical fruit on Banks Peninsula, are horticultural possibilities.

The downstream effects of agriculture with irrigation include more jobs in transport, processing, handling, construction, and exporting sectors of the community. A display by the Department of Health will emphasise the importance of good-equality drinking water.

Christchurch’s drinking water is regarded as some of the best in the world.

Good-quality water is a valuable resource and the Department wants the aquifers serving Christchurch to remain uncontaminated.

According to the World Health Organisation, water for human consumption must be free from organisms and chemical substances which are hazardous to health. Water unfit for human consumption is known as non-potable water.

Drinking water is sampled to test for the presence of coliform bacteria which indicate contamination from sewage of human or animal origin.

The placement of the Waimairi landfill refuse site

was selected to prevent pollution of underground water resources.

Filtration systems remove suspended material from water supplies and chlorine can be added as a safeguard, in case the supply has been contaminated. Land use, such as heavy stocking by animals and spreading of fertiliser, can affect water quality.

A slightly different emphasis will be taken by the Zoology Department of the University of Canterbury. Its display will look at the inter-relationships between plants and animals which live in and near water. The different habitats in-

clude swift and slow-moving rivers, and standing water such as lakes. Some insects live in open water, others in mud, and others among weeds growing in water. Rather than fish and eels, the Zoology Department’s stand will deal mostly with lower forms of life, such as insects and snails. Ways of resolving conflict between water users will be the subject of a display by the Centre of Resource Management at Lincoln College. The display suggests there should be a rational approach to weighing up water allocation for instream and outer-stream users.

Because many of Canterbury’s agricultural products are exported through the port of Lyttelton, a display by the Lyttelton Harbour Board will nicely round off the exhibition. The board’s display will feature a scale model of the port, from Magazine Bay to east of Cashin Quay. Other groups represented in the exhibition include the Christchurch Drainage Board, Catchment Boards, Canterbury United Council, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, Salmon Farmers Association, and Jet Boat Association.