A new panel to decide on 122 resource consent applications to use water from the upper Waitaki catchment, west of the Waitaki dam, has been appointed by Environment Canterbury.
The four-member panel replaces a three-member panel which has been hearing other applications to use water below the Waitaki dam.
At this stage, Environment Canterbury (ECan) has set aside 10 weeks, from late September to December, to hear applications, most of which seek water for irrigation.
ECan does not know whether more time may be needed.
Former Environment Court Judge Peter Skelton, of Christchurch, has chaired the panel which has, so far, dealt with the Waitaki consents, some of which date back more than 10 years and have been on hold since the government appointed the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Board to prepare a water allocation plan for the catchment.
However, Prof Skelton indicated he would not be available as a member of the panel to hear the upper Waitaki applications.
Another not available is freshwater scientist and ecologist Greg Ryder of Dunedin, who has stood down because he felt he had a conflict of interest.
The third member of the original panel, environmental consultant Mike Bowden of Kaiapoi, will continue on the new panel.
The chairman of the new panel is Christchurch lawyer Paul Rogers.
Because water quality will be one of the major issues, water quality expert Dr Jim Cooke of Wellington will be on the panel.
ECan has added a fourth member as a cultural authority, Edward Ellison from Otakou, Otago Peninsula.
Mr Ellison also has expertise from being a member of the original water allocation board that prepared the water allocation plan in 2005 after hearing extensive evidence on the Waitaki catchment.
A minute issued last week by Mr Rogers set hearing dates to start from September 21 and end on December 18, with some breaks.
The bulk of the hearings will be in Christchurch, with some in Twizel for parties wishing to be heard there.
It is not known how long or when the panel will sit in Twizel.
Mr Rogers again emphasised all applicants needed the approval of Meridian Energy for their applications.
Without the "derogation approval" from Meridian, applicants would "be at real risk of not being heard", he said.