Environment Canterbury councillors have signaled their intent to make future changes to the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan. This may lead to an increase in the annual allocation limit for the Waitaki River and its tributaries between the Waitaki Dam and Black Point.
The decision was taken this week by the Regional Planning Committee in response to a Minute issued by Professor Peter Skelton, chair of the hearing panel considering resource consent applications for water in the lower Waitaki catchment. The committee had to decide whether or not to promote a plan change now or in the future.
Several people spoke to the committee - Jay Graybill for the Fish and Game Council, a deputation of Mid River irrigators, Sandy Cameron on behalf of Wainui Station and Meridian Energy’s legal counsel.
Professor Skelton’s Minute asked the council to consider promoting a plan change to address the annual allocation limit for farming activities between the Waitaki Dam and Black Point and to confirm the minimum and mean flows for tributaries/water bodies falling within the plan.
In response to a comment this week from a Waitaki Valley farmer on delays in consent processing, ECan has pointed out that this group of 220 applicants have been held up by the Government call-in of the Waitaki consents. This arose from Meridian Energy’s Project Aqua application, later shelved. Further delays to individual farmers’ renewal and new water consent applications have arisen as Meridian and irrigators also applied for substantial hydro and irrigation projects which required a catchment consenting approach. However, existing consent holders have continued to use their water allocations in the interim. Some are now waiting for public hearings, while others have had hearings and are awaiting decisions.
Response to Hearing Panel Minute – Lower Waitaki Resource Consent Applications
Resolved
That the Council requests the Commissioners to reconvene the hearing to seek a response to the Minute from the parties affected prior to considering granting or refusing the applications.
That the Council requests the Chief Executive to compile relevant information on the annual allocations of existing consents, and a peer review of that information.
That the Council agrees to initiate a change to the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Plan to take into account the intent of the plan by providing for an increase in the annual allocation to agricultural/horticultural activities from the Waitaki River between the Waitaki Dam and Black Point.
That the Council request the Chief Executive to investigate the water use efficiency of existing irrigation consents as an input to a future plan change.
That the Council delays the initiation of a plan change until it is in a position to consider any other changes that may be required to the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan.
That authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, enabling him to provide the flows that comply with the formulas for environmental flows prescribed in Table 3 of the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan.
That a timeframe and work programme, which will also consider a methodology for stakeholder and community consultation, be presented to the July 2009 Council meeting.
For further information: Dr Bryan Jenkins, ECan Chief Executive 0274 974 973. For background: www.ecan.govt.nz/Resource+Consents/WaitakiConsents/