The Otematata Golf Club may get its water to maintain its nine-hole course at half price.
The Waitaki District Council will consider at its meeting on Tuesday whether to grant the discount, which has the backing of the Ahuriri Community Board.
The board has recommended the council approve a 50% remission of water meter charges for the golf club, acknowledging that would mean Otematata water ratepayers continued to offset the full cost of irrigating the golf course.
The council's water-wastewater asset manager, Martin Pacey, said that historically the club had paid only the same as an individual Otematata household for its water, using about a sixth of the town's annual consumption.
In 2009, after discussions with the club and community board, it was decided to move to water meter charges in steps - one-third of the 36c per cubic metre rate from July 1, 2010, two-thirds from January 1 last year, and at the full rate (which had increased to 47c a cubic metre) from July 1 last year.
That meant the club would be paying about $22,500 a year, based on its historic use of an average 48,000 cubic metres a year.
It could not afford that and would have to reduce its irrigation to what it could pay for while looking for an alternative source of water.
Mr Pacey said further discussions had been held and the community board felt a reduction in charges was appropriate because of the community benefits from the viability of the club.
The council had already budgeted to receive $10,000 in water charges from the club in the Otematata water account after considering the likelihood and ability of it to pay the full amount.
Mr Pacey said if the council approved the 50% discount, that would need to be included in the Otematata water account figures so the town's residents could see the subsidy.
