The Malvern Hills Protection Society (MHPS) is a grassroots

Grassroots

A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...

 environmental group seeking to prevent the construction of a new dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 in the Canterbury

Canterbury, New Zealand

The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...

 region of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

It was formed as an incorporated society by the Dam Action Group and their aim is to "promote the conservation, protection and enhancement of the historical, cultural, ecological, environmental and community values of the Malvern Hills District". The Dam Action Group was formed to prevent the construction of an earth dam which would flood part of the Waianiwaniwa River

Waianiwaniwa River

The Waianiwaniwa River is a river in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand.The source is in the foothills of the Southern Alps and it is a tributary of the Selwyn River. The Central Plains Water Trust is seeking approval to dam the river for a contentious irrigation scheme...

 catchment area. Mojo Mathers

Mojo Mathers

Mojo Mathers is a New Zealand politician. She became known through her involvement with the Malvern Hills Protection Society and helped prevent the Central Plains Water Trust's proposal to build a large irrigation dam in Coalgate. She has been a senior policy advisor to the Green Party since...

 is among the Society's founding members.

The dam is a proposal by the Central Plains Water Trust

Central Plains Water

Central Plains Water, or, more fully, the Central Plains Water Enhancement Scheme, is a large-scale proposal for water diversion, damming, reticulation and irrigation for the Central Plains of Canterbury, New Zealand....

, which was established by the Christchurch City and Selwyn District Councils, as a means of providing irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

 for parts of the Canterbury Plains

Canterbury Plains

The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki...

External links

• Malvern Hills Protection Society - official website.
• Central Plains Water