Last Wednesday the Otago Regional Council voted in favour of accepting commissioners' recommendation a minimum water flow of 900 litres per second be set for the Lindis River catchment, between October and May starting 2021.
Beau Trevathan said all the water used for irrigation on his farm came from the Lindis River and if the flow rate was set at 900 litres per second, his farm would become uneconomic.
Other options such as subdividing the land for housing would be considered if the flow rate stayed the same, Mr Trevathan said.
``I'll have to walk away from a family business that has been in operation for over 100 years.''
Alternatives such as using aquifers and more efficient irrigation systems were not viable economically for traditional farmers, he said.
Pumped water from the Clutha River would also be too expensive for most sheep and beef farmers and most farmers in the area would be in the same situation, he said.
Mr Trevathan said the council's decision went against the majority of submissions on the issue.
``I never heard one ounce of common sense spoken from anybody who suggested that there was a justification in anything higher than 450 litres per second.''
A meeting would be held next Wednesday in Tarras for those in the community affected and a decision would be made on how to go ahead with any appeal, he said.
The cost of an appeal would likely to be very expensive and as people were affected differently, there would need to be a discussion about how it was paid for, he said.
Council policy, planning, and resource management director Fraser McRae said there would be one or two farmers who would be constrained from investing in more efficient infrastructure, but there were still less expensive options, such as sprinkler irrigation, which could be used.
Economic costs could be offset with more reliable alternative water sources, establishment of water storage, and more efficient irrigation and water supply infrastructure, Mr McRae said.
Commissioners took into consideration all the circumstances of submitters when making their recommendation, he said.
Farmer Pete Jolly said no concern had been shown for the social and economic wellbeing of the Tarras community.
It seemed to him that the council must consider there was more value in a few fish going up the river than there was in the wellbeing of the community, he said.
Mr Jolly, who uses both the Clutha and Lindis for irrigation, said most farmers accepted there would be a flow rate imposed, but 900 litres was a ``slam dunk'' in the face.
If the economic viability of farming in the Tarras area was to disappear, so too would the community, he said.
A lower flow rate of about 450 litres was viable and more efficient spray irrigation could be used, but 900 was far too high, Mr Jolly said.
A precedent had been set which would affect not only Tarras but all other farming communities in Central Otago, who relied on irrigation to survive, he said.
Appeals need to be lodged within 30 working days of the notice of decision.
