To achieve a "Viable Springfed River Ecosystem" to complement the other representative protected ecosystems of Christchurch such as the Port Hills, Travis Wetlands and the Coastline.

Key Actions

1. Protect, maintain and restore natural drainage patterns by:
   • Understanding natural surface and subsurface drainage patterns and processing through research and monitoring
   • Ensuring that any development mitigates for stormwater quality and quantity and recognises and works with natural drainage patterns
   • Recognising natural variations due to storm events and seasonal changes and allowing sufficient space for these to occur through building setbacks, zoning and land protection
   • Avoiding filling and building within floodplains and ponding areas through education, working with landowners, regulation and enforcement
   • Maximise ground soakage through minimizing hard surfaces
   • Monitor water abstraction and its impacts on waterways and wetlands
   • Recognising and planning for the long term effects of climate change and sea level rise
2. Protect springs by:
   • Identifying, highlighting and monitoring springflow
   • Ensuring that spring flow from the underlying aquifers is maintained
3. Protect and enhance water quality by:
   • Developing strategies to deal with non point source pollution
   • Identifying and mitigating against point source discharges
4. Protect and monitor remnant indigenous vegetation and the effect of weed invasion on them.
5. Identify and protect natural landforms.
6. Restore a range of viable habitats that reflect the range of indigenous ecosystems in this area, based on the underlying soils.
7. Increase native bird species richness through:
   • Protecting and restoring core habitat sites for wetland and bush bird species
   • Ensuring that there are adequate buffer zones along waterway and wetland margins
   • Developing green corridor linkages to areas outside the Styx area
8. Undertake predator control as necessary.
9. Reintroduce native species in suitable locations (eg fernbird at the mouth of the Styx River).
10. Investigate methods to increase the number of trout and the number and range of native fish species within the Styx River.
11. Monitor, mitigate and remedy the effect of land use change on water quality and other ecosystem attributes.