Farmers wanting water from the lower Waitaki River for irrigation face further delays getting resource consents, even after waiting for up to 11 years.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) decided yesterday to rectify confusion over a water allocation plan for the lower Waitaki River that could have meant some farmers, including those who already use water, miss out. But that may result in farmers already waiting for decisions on 56 resource consent applications to take water for irrigation from the river between Black Point and the Waitaki Dam not getting an answer for a year or longer.
A lawyer acting for irrigators, Pru Steven, told Ecan's regional planning committee yesterday that was not acceptable - farmers were looking to Ecan for a solution and could not wait another one to two years.
"It is neither fair nor reasonable nor consistent with their legitimate expectations of this whole process that applicants should face this further delay when for many they have been in this process for years," she said.
The 2005 Waitaki catchment water allocation regional plan allocated water for horticultural and agricultural use, but not enough between Black Point upstream to the Waitaki Dam to meet existing and future demands.
The plan allocates 150 million cubic metres of water a year for irrigation from the lower Waitaki River and its tributaries between Black Point and the dam, but existing use and new applications total 182 million cubic metres.
An ECan hearings panel, deciding on renewal and new applications, has warned unless the shortfall was rectified it may have to decline most of the applications, including renewals sought by farmers who already have water.
The regional planning committee unanimously decided yesterday to initiate a change to the water allocation plan to increase the allocation.
However, a plan change could take a year or more.
The committee, before making its decisions yesterday, heard from farmers and groups associated with the river, including the Mid River New Applicants' Group, Meridian Energy Ltd, Central South Island Fish and Game Council, Sandy Cameron of Wainui Station and Ms Steven.
The committee has also:- Asked chief executive Bryan Jenkins to compile information on the annual allocations of existing consents and have it peer reviewed; Asked Dr Jenkins to investigate the water use efficiency of existing irrigation consents; Delayed the initiation of a plan change until ECan can consider any other changes that may be needed to the plan; Delegated authority to Dr Jenkins to prepare minimum flows for tributaries that comply with formulas in the allocation plan; Asked for a timeframe and work programme, including stakeholder and community consultation, to be presented next month to the council.
