Limiting interim consents replacing "overly permissive" 100-year-old mining water rights to seven years "doesn’t go far enough" to protect the environment.
Otago Fish & Game Council chief executive Ian Hadland has described the Otago Regional Council’s decision not to allow a longer term for some consents as the historical consents were phased out "sensible", but called on the council to be "braver".
"Ensuring all replacement consents have a baseline level of environmental protection will align Otago better with central government direction and send a clear signal to the public that the ORC [members] are heading in the right direction in restoring depleted flows and preparing for climate change," Mr Hadland said.
The proposed plan change would still allow many permit holders to take "the lion’s share" of water that flows past their intakes — and the Fish & Game Council would submit on the proposed plan change asking for more mandatory conditions to protect the environment.
