The case for irrigating more than 5000ha in the Waitaki and Hakataramea Valleys was put yesterday to an Environment Canterbury hearings panel sitting in Oamaru.
Under the auspices of the Mid River New Applicants Group, 17 individuals are seeking 34 resource consents for water from in the Hakataramea Valley, the lower Waitaki River and its tributaries between the Waitaki dam and Black Point.
Most of the water is for irrigation for dairying, cropping, viticulture, sheep and beef farms.
One is for an orchard and others for domestic and stock water.
Some seek new consents, others are renewing or modifying existing consents.
The group's environmental engineering consultant, Keri Johnston, outlined each individual application to the three commissioners who have been appointed by Environment Canterbury (ECan).
Nine of the consents are from the Waitaki River, 21 from the Hakataramea River and tributaries, two from the Otekaieke River and tributaries and one each from the Kurow and Maerewhenua Rivers.
The biggest is from the Haka Valley Irrigation Company, which wants water from the Waitaki River to irrigate up to 1875ha of land on six farms.
Its proposal is to pump 1cumec from the Waitaki River on the Normanvale Estate farm west of Kurow, then pipe it over the hill into the Hakataramea Valley to spray irrigate crops, pasture and small areas of viticulture and horticulture.
The second-largest is from the Maerewhenua District Water Resources Co, to spray irrigate up to 936ha of crops and pasture.
Water would be taken from a gallery on the edge of the Waitaki River and distributed by an open race network and pump stations.
There were 56 submissions on the all applications, 25 in support, 29 opposed and two neither in support nor opposed.
Meridian Energy Ltd gave its support, subject to appropriate conditions.
Some of the opposition was from the Central South Island Fish and Game Council, Department of Conservation, Ngai Tahu, Waitaki First and Lower Waitaki River Management Society.
