The Central Plains Water scheme is a proposal to build a water storage dam in the Whitecliffs-Glentunnel area that would draw water from the Rakaia and Waimakariri rivers and release it to dry-land farms through a network of canals.

Read more on the scheme's background

Applications for land and water use were made to the Selwyn District Council and Environment Canterbury (ECan) in 2006.

These were followed by council requests for further information and by a supplementary application from Central Plains Water. Read the reports and correspondence relating to the requests for further information and for additional further information.

Now the independent commissioners must decide whether or not the Central Plains Water scheme can go ahead based on the reports before them which contain evidence and arguments from all sides. You can read the Section 42 reports on ECan's website