The Hunter Downs irrigation scheme, a joint venture between Meridian Energy Ltd and the South Canterbury Irrigation Trust, was granted four resource consents in April by Environment Canterbury (ECan) to take up to 20.5 cumecs of water near Stonewall at the site of the Morven Glenavy Ikawai irrigation scheme intake.
It would then be pumped to farms, using a pumping station, canal and pipe system of about 140km to farms.
However, the consents were appealed to the Environment Court by Ngai Tahu and runanga, major irrigation companies on the lower Waitaki River and other parties.
Judge Jon Jackson held a prehearing conference with all the parties in Christchurch on August 4 and 13.
Meridian Energy Ltd-South Canterbury Irrigation Trust counsel Jo Appleyard requested at the conference the matter proceed to a hearing and for a timetable to be put in place.
Judge Jackson said the hearing would be set down for four weeks in the first quarter of next year - three weeks in Christchurch and the fourth week in Oamaru.
Likely dates he proposed were the weeks beginning February 28, March 7, March 21 and March 28.
He also set in place a timetable for the parties to file evidence in chief, starting with the applicants by November 10 and finishing with rebuttal evidence by February 21.
Irrigation companies and farms who have filed appeals are worried about the effect granting water for Hunter Downs will have on existing users, particularly the priority they have to take water under their consents.
Ngai Tahu's appeal, which incorporates the Arowhenua, Waihao and Moeraki runanga, wants the court to overturn the consents.
Many of the smaller catchments within the irrigation schemes area would be affected, the appeal said.
Hunter Downs would be the second or third largest irrigation scheme in New Zealand and the science and investigations supporting it, particularly in relation to Ngai Tahu's values, were inadequate, the appeal said.
