A major party involved in hearings on 110 applications to use water, mainly for irrigation, in the upper Waitaki catchment has had no contact with the applicants over conditions on any resource consents that may be granted.
The Department of Conservation was involved in a 13-week hearing from September last year by an Environment Canterbury (ECan) hearings panel considering whether to grant water from sources west of the Waitaki dam.
The panel adjourned the hearing on May 3, which included applications by three companies wanting to develop 16 dairy farms with up to 17,850 cows in the Ohau and Omarama areas.
Panel chairman Paul Rogers directed applicants to get together with planning officers and submitters to see if agreement could be reached on conditions which could be attached to applications, if granted.
It was indicated to the panel that it could take up to eight weeks, but after four months with no sign of progress, Mr Rogers has asked applicants to explain why and what stage they had reached.
The department's director-general Al Morrison has told the panel it had not been approached by the applicants or ECan to be involved in any discussions relating to possible consent conditions.
During the hearing, it presented evidence and legal submissions, particularly relating to the impacts on water quality and habitats.
Consent conditions were raised as a possible way to address some of the department's concerns.
Mr Morrison said no draft conditions had been given to the department, nor advice sought on whether particular conditions would meet its concerns.
However, it was still available to assist in formulating the conditions.
