Environment Minister Nick Smith says people in Canterbury need to give Government-appointed commissioners a chance to address the region's water problems.

More than 3,000 people attended a rally in Cathedral Square in Christchurch on Sunday  to protest at how water is being managed in Canterbury, as well as the sacking of the regional council.

They placed stones from the Waimakariri River in a special cairn in Cathedral Square to represent the region’s waterways.

The decision to replace the Council with commissioners was made in March, after the Government raised concerns about its management of fresh water.

The Our Water, Our Vote coalition, which organised the protest, says that was an affront on democracy and will lead to abuse of the environment in order to make money.

Dr. Smith, says he shares concerns about water quality and extensive dairying and says that’s why a highly skilled group of commissioners was appointed.

The director of Coast to Coast, Robin Judkins,  says extensive dairy farming in the region is destroying the environment and needs to stop.