2 Introduction
This Written Report and companion GIS Report present an understanding of the recreation and tourism activities undertaken within the Waitaki Catchment supported by or associated with water bodies. The reports collate, synthesise and present information from existing studies and the personal accounts of people who have an interest in recreation and tourism use of the Waitaki Catchment.
Information collation began by searching for existing studies into recreation and tourism in the catchment. The methods used were: library and internet searches; discussion with Lincoln University and University of Otago recreation and tourism academics; recreation and tourism consultants; recreation interest groups; community groups; regional tourism organisations; councils; Environment Canterbury; Department of Conservation; Fish & Game New Zealand; Tourism Research Council; SPARC; tourism operators and recreation participants.
Published reports into recreation and tourism were used. One study based on primary research was the National Anglers Survey conducted by NIWA for Fish & Game New Zealand, 2003. This study presented the number of fishers who use individual water bodies and also showed popularity trends.
Another study, based on primary research into recreation use, was the Boffa Miskell, Rob Greenaway & Associates Project Aqua: Recreation Effects Assessment Report for Project Aqua, 2003. The general descriptive information contained in this study was useful for this report but because of the survey conditions during the study period most of the primary research findings were not used in this report. There are no recent studies that cover the whole catchment.
Other sources were also collected to provide the best possible picture of current recreation and tourism use. General studies by the Tourism Research Council for Regional Tourism Organisations were interpreted to present a general picture of tourism use in the catchment. Published material reviewing the area for individual activities was used to provide a general description.
Numerous people were contacted to develop a general picture of current and past activities and to enable presentation of activities that will be affected by water use. The result is a collation of the information uncovered and a summary relative to particular activities.
This report is a presentation of the current picture of recreation and tourism use in the Waitaki Catchment based on the best available knowledge the authors could uncover. The reader can gain an understanding of current recreation and tourism use of the catchment supported by or associated with water bodies, future trends and the effect changing water use is likely to have on activities.
The report is divided into three sections: Aoraki/Mt Cook; upper catchment; and lower catchment. The Aoraki/Mt Cook section discuses recreation and tourism together and the other two sections discuss recreation and tourism separately.
The companion GIS Report spatially presents the recreation and tourism activities that occur in the catchment and where. This report is predominantly based on material prepared by Environment Canterbury (2004) to assess use of water bodies in Canterbury. Other GIS maps have been created and added to this base data set.
The Written Report and GIS Report can be read separately but will enhance the understanding of each other if read together.
For each topic there is a summary table followed by the information which supports each table. The summary tables include:
- information summary - a general discussion of each activity
- quantitative data - a collation of available quantitative information
- significance - the significance of each activity where this can be provided
- future trends - an assessment of what is likely to happen relative to this activity in the future.
- water flow level influence - water changed water flow conditions are likely to have on the activity, based on available information
- information sources - a list of information sources that provided information
- information explanation and assessment - assessment of the information that was included in the report
- information coverage - an assessment of how adequate the information used was for to meets this report's objectives
- GIS maps in companion report - page numbers of relevant maps in the companion GIS report.
