Zone Name:	Selwyn - Waimakariri	Current Status:	(Red)
Allocation Limit:	121.3 million m3/yr	Valid date:	23 June 2007
Approach:	50% land-based recharge less lowland stream (mean flow) requirements

Recharge component

Method of estimation

Background notes

The allocation limit incorporates estimates of annual average recharge from rainfall and irrigation (land surface recharge) as determined in (Scott, 2004) and by Gabites and Williams (2007). In part, the recharge reflects the contribution that irrigation makes to groundwater recharge as determined from detailed analysis of climate and soil data. The methodology and estimates of rainfall and irrigation recharge are described in Groundwater Allocation Limits: land-based recharge estimates (Environment Canterbury Report No U04/97). This equates to a volume of 121.3 million m³ per year. This recharge volume does not include contributions from intermittent streams or from the Selwyn River. The allocation limit is set as 50% of the recharge - this totals 121.3 million m³ per year, with a modification allowing for increased protection of spring-fed streams.

In part, this reflected concern about the reliability of the provisional estimate of the contribution from the upper Selwyn River catchment and the need for this contribution to maintain flows in the lower Selwyn River and the spring-fed streams such as the LII and Halswell. However, it was primarily based on the fact that the observed reduction in flows in Lake Ellesmere's tributaries had provided the benchmark for Environment Canterbury's allocation limit of 50%.

New applications to take groundwater that is linked to a surface waterway may be subject to surface water restriction and/or allocations.

Other available information sources

These reports may be used to provide a full description of groundwater resources in this area. They may include information that will be of use in a consent application, but are not necessarily a comprehensive list.

• Martin, A. and Williams H. 'State of the Canterbury Region Water Resource October 2006' (pdf 8.38 MB), U06/68
• Brown, L. J, 2000, 'Groundwaters of the Canterbury Region' Environment Canterbury Report R00/10.
• CRC Report 96(7), 1996, The Natural Resources of Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) and its Catchment. Canterbury Regional Council June 1996.
• Gabites, S and Williams H, 2007, Selwyn-Waimakariri Groundwater Allocation Zone, Internal Memorandum to Water Allocation Group, April 2007.
• Scott D 2004: Groundwater allocation and Schedule WQN4: Technical and policy background; Environment Canterbury Technical Report U04/12, 15 p.

Allocation history

Effective allocation

 06 October 2011

Effective Allocation (million m³): 163.271
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 135%

 30 August 2010

Effective Allocation (million m³): 161.21
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 133%

 3 May 2010

Effective Allocation (million m³): 161.01
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 133%

 11 January 2010

Effective Allocation (million m³): 159.25
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

 7 December 2009

Effective Allocation (million m³): 159.01
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

3 November 2009

Effective Allocation (million m³): 159.00
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

3 August 2009

Effective Allocation (million m³): 158.87
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

6 July 2009

Effective Allocation (million m³): 158.25
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 130%

2 June 2009

Effective Allocation (million m³): 158.65
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

2 March 2009

Effective Allocation (million m³): 158.63
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

9 February 2009

Effective Allocation (million m³): 158.38
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

1 December 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 159.33
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 131%

3 November 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 158.54
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Decision on Selwyn Waimakariri Hearing
Proportion Allocated: 131%

13 October 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 137.53
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

8 September 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 137.40
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

11 August 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 137.10
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

7 July 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 137.24
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

9 June 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 136.93
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

31 March 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 136.87
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

3 March 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 136.84
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

4 February 2008

Effective Allocation (million m³): 136.87
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

3 December 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 136.75
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 113%

5 November 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 135.87
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 112%

1 October 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 135.92
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 112%

3 September 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 136.00
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 112%

23 July 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 136.05
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 112%

7 May 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 132.87
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 100.73%

5 March 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 132.82
Reason for Change: Further consent granted
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 99.41%

19 February 2007

Effective Allocation (million m³): 131.13
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 99.41%

5 December 2006

Effective Allocation (million m³): 131.38
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 99.6%

9 October 2006

Effective Allocation (million m³): 131.505
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 99.70%

2 October 2006

Effective Allocation (million m³): 130.905
Reason for Change: Consent lapsed
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 99.25%

25 September 2006

Effective Allocation (million m³): 130.998
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion Allocated: 99.31%

29 June 2005

Effective Allocation (million m³): 124.29
Reason for Change: Effective allocation recalculated using a revised table of irrigation standards to address concerns with Schedule WQN9 of Chapter 5 NRRP, as approved by the Water Allocation Panel
Source: Consents database live-read on 29 June 2005
Proportion Allocated: 94.00%

11 October 2004

Effective Allocation (million m³): 131.05
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database
Proportion Allocated: 99.36%

17 September 2004

Effective Allocation (million m³): 131.33
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database
Proportion Allocated: 99.57%

27 August 2004

Effective Allocation (million m³): 131.31
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database
Proportion Allocated: 99.55%

26 July 2004

Effective Allocation (million m³): 131.01
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database
Proportion Allocated: 99.33%

11 June 2004

Effective Allocation (million m³): 129.11
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database
Proportion Allocated: 97.88%

31 March 2004

Effective Allocation (million m³): 122.26
Reason for Change: Consents update
Source: Consents database
Proportion Allocated: 92.69%

23 January 2004

Effective Allocation (million m³): 121.9
Reason for Change: This is the first estimate made
Source: Report U04/02 (Table 6.2)
Proportion Allocated: 92.42%

Allocation limit

23 June 2007

Allocation Limit (million m³): 121.3
Reason for Change: Revised estimate of land surface recharge and groundwater contribution to the lowland streams in this zone
Source: Proposed NRRP Variation 4, Chapter 5: Water Quantity

23 January 2004

Allocation Limit (million m³): 131.9
Reason for Change: This is the first estimate made and includes an additional 15 million m³/yr recharge from the Selwyn River
Source: Report U04/02 (Table 6.2)